Kimberly-Clark

Kimberly-Clark is a global maker of personal-care and tissue products, home to brands such as Huggies, Kleenex, Scott, Kotex and Cottonelle. Its everyday consumer staples sell steadily regardless of the economic cycle, though the business faces persistent competition, private-label pressure and swings in the cost of pulp and other raw materials. The company has raised its dividend for well over two decades, marking it as a long-standing, dependable payer. The yield is moderate and the increases have generally been steady, though modest, reflecting a mature business with limited unit growth. The dividend is well established and reasonably covered, offering the kind of reliable, if unspectacular, income that defines the consumer-staples sector rather than rapid growth.