At t ticker symbol

Founded in by brothers Tom and David Gardner, The Motley Fool helps millions of people attain financial freedom through our website, podcasts, books, newspaper column, radio show, and premium investing services. T sure looks like a mighty fine dividend stock. Let me show you why I would rather own 3M NYSE: MMM , American Tower NYSE: AMT , or Seagate Technology NASDAQ: STX in a dividend-focused portfolio today -- all for very different reasons.

Let's start with industrial innovator 3M.

But their long-term dividend strategies are extremely different. At first glance, it's easy to get stuck on the current dividend yields. There, Ma Bell easily takes the crown with a solid 5. No need to dig any deeper, because this fight is already over.

T Dividend data by YCharts. In plain English, this is 3M putting a lead foot on its dividend accelerator in recent years. Since , management has committed to returning a lot of cash to shareholders -- mostly via generous dividend increases and share buyback programs. In contrast, 3M is using its superior credit rating to add more debt to bolster its balance sheet -- leaving lots of room for large dividend increases.

In the eyes of many income investors, consistent and lavish dividend growth trumps rich yields paired with stagnant growth. Moving on to wireless tower operator American Tower, that company does not come with decades of dividend history. This dividend policy is only 4 years old, but investors have enjoyed some massive increases over that short span:.

Today, the ratio stands at just 2.

Stock Ticker Symbol Lookup - MarketWatch

However, as a real estate investment trust, generous dividends are absolutely required. In other words, these payouts will continue to rise at least as quickly as American Tower's bottom-line profits. The company is even going beyond the call of duty, as dividend payouts are soaring much faster than either EBIT profits or free cash flows. The company is likely to stay relevant and healthy at least as long as smartphones need a tower-based data network.

In the long run, American Tower stands a good chance of joining the Dividend Aristocrats list. Just keep in mind that I'm building that conclusion on a fairly short dividend history, augmented by what we know about REIT stocks in general. Here's a dominant force in the hard-drive business, with only one serious rival to speak of. And unlike American Tower and 3M, whose stock charts have been robust, Seagate is going through a trough in a very cyclical market, driving dividend yields higher as share prices fall.

T Dividend Yield TTM data by YCharts. It is understood that this stock comes with a heaping dose of risk.

That's already baked into the stock price, of course. Shares took another dive last week, when management lowered its revenue guidance for the current quarter. But we're talking about a fantastic history of dividend increases, on top of the option to lock in downright drool-inducing dividend yields at today's low share prices. Unless you think that hard drives and bulk data storage are going the way of the dodo, it's hard not to get enthusiastic about Seagate as a dividend stock.

There you have it. American Tower is a hot newcomer to the dividend game, but what a start!

AT&T Press Release Headlines & News from AT&T

And Seagate combines massive dividend growth with a nearly double-digit starting yield. Anders Bylund owns shares of American Tower. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends American Tower.

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The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Anders Bylund is a Foolish Technology and Entertainment Specialist. Where the two markets intersect, you'll find his wheelhouse. He has been an official Fool since but a jester all his life. Contains six flavors not found in nature. Believes in coyotes and time as an abstract.

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