Long-term investors can profit greatly from owning companies that pay regular dividends. Investors can receive the dividends as income or reinvest them to buy additional shares of stocks without spending any new money.

Also, many high-quality companies regularly increase their dividend payments so shareholders benefit from an increasing stream of cash payments.

Stock prices will have inevitable downside periods, even for the best of companies, and safe, dependable dividends cushion the price declines. Income investors still receive their cash payments. And dividend-reinvestment participants buy relatively more shares because prices are down.

Here are 10 well-known companies that have paid dividends for many consecutive years:

• Bank of America - nationwide bank.
• Coca-Cola - carbonated soft drinks, juices and bottled water.
• Colgate-Palmolive - consumer products like Colgate toothpaste.
• General Electric - consumer products and much more.
• H.J.Heinz - foods like ketchup.
• International Business Machines - computer hardware, software and services.
• McDonald’s - fast food.
• Pepsico - beverages and snacks.
• Procter & Gamble - consumer products like Tide laundry detergent.
• Wrigley’s - chewing gum like Doublemint and candy.

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