All references to Champions mean companies that have paid higher dividends for at least 25 straight years; Contenders have streaks of 10-24 years; Challengers have streaks of 5-9 years. Already in 2011, 18 companies have made their way unto the Challengers list, including such diverse names as Dun & Bradstreet (DNB), Teekay Offshore Partners (TOO), and Union Pacific (UNP).

The up-and-comers include a wide variety of companies, ranging from restaurants and retailers to utilities and Master Limited Partnerships (MLPs) and offering yields ranging from 0.5% to 8.6%. Although they don't have long streaks of dividend increases, it's clear that management at these companies is expressing confidence that their firms will be able to sustain strong enough earnings growth to support rising dividend payouts to shareholders.

Source: Seeking Alpha

Related Articles:
- Dividend Stocks Poised To Beat Inflation
- Is It Time To Sell Long-Bonds?
- Stocks That Pay Monthly Dividends
- When To Sell A Dividend Stock
- My Top 6 Performing Dividend Stocks Just Might Surprise You
- 10 Stocks With Sustainable Dividend Growth