Dividends are essential because they provide a significant percentage of returns, especially during bear markets.
The number one stock on our list of best long-term dividend stocks is Microsoft (MSFT), the diversified software and hardware conglomerate.
Almost everyone buys one of its products. It has 21 brands with $1+ billion in sales.
But the company sells something almost everyone buys, branded proteins. It used to sell only meat but has branched out through acquisitions.
ConEd delivers electric services to around 3.6 million customers, natural gas to about 1.1 million clients, and steam to 1,500+ customers.
As one of the five largest American defense contractors, the company has dominant market shares and recession-proof characteristics.