Following discussions on seekingalpha and making up my own mind, I classify dividend growth stocks in two categories: (1.) Core Dividend Stocks and (2.) Dividend Growth Stocks. The separation follows the idea of strategically building-up a portfolio representing stocks of both categories. Core dividend stocks provide higher yield, longer track record of increasing dividends, but slower dividend growth. Higher yields enables me to reinvest a higher amount of cash from dividends. Growth stocks instead provide an initally lower yield, shorter dividend track record but higher dividend growth rates. Over the long-term these stocks have potential to boost yield on cost. My ultimate investment goal will be my watchlist becoming my portfolio.

Price, Dividend Safety, Dividend Momentum, Growth, Valuation, and Technic represents my  investment criteria. The green “PASS” field  indicates that the respective investment criteria is currently fulfilled for the specific company.

1. Watchlist – Core Dividend Stocks

 Dividend stocks usually have a higher yield, a longer streak of increasing dividends, but less growth prospects.

 2. Watchlist – Dividend Growth Stocks

Dividend growth stocks have usually lower yield, a shorter streak of increasing dividends, but a stronger growth profile.

Understanding the table

Beyond the name, the Industry Sector is the one developed by the rating agency Standard & Poors and the global financial information provider MSCI. It provides 10 sectors. An overview of the sectors can be found on wikipedia here. With a closer look you recognize that my watchlist contains companies from each of the ten sectors (except utilities). The companies are well diversified across the industry sectors.

Price column

The price column relates to my 2. investment criteria. A green “PASS” indicates that the current dividend yield is above its 5 year average and/or above my target yield. To find out how I derive the target yield, please visit investment criteria.

Dividend Safety + Dividend Momentum column

The dividend safety column relates to my investment criteria 3. and 4. I require a Chowder Score of 12% and a payout ratio of below 55%. If these two criterias are fulfilled its signalled via the green “PASS”. I added dividend momentum in this table which is a “PASS” if a company’s 3-year dividend CAGR is greater than its 10-year dividend CAGR. Therefore, it signals stronger dividend growth most recently, being an indicator for a healthy business model rewarding shareholder with even greater dividends in recent years.

Growth

The Growth column relates to my investment criteria 5. To qualify for a long-term investment I require companies to have grown their revenues and their earnings per share (EPS) in the past five years greater than 5%. Why 5%? As a dividend investor the trade-off is most of the time between dividend growth and current yield. Keeping your purchasing power in an inflationary world (expected “real” inflation to be 3-4%), I require at least some growth on the top of inflation.  Further I require a positive future consensus outlook, i.e. next five year EPS >5%.

Valuation

The Valuation column ensures that I do not overpay for a company, reflected in investment criteria 6. It requires EV/EBITDA and P/E multiple at or below their last five year averages. That reduces my risk buying overpriced stocks. Read more in my investment criterias.

Technical

The Technical column enables me to buy on (short-term) stock price dips using the Relative Strenght Index (RSI) as indicator (investment criteria 7.)