Dividends continue to be highly prized by investors. Consistent and reliable dividend payments can help grow a portfolio when reinvested, and the passive income stream can be a big help to retirees and people living on fixed incomes. For these reasons, many investors seek out stocks of companies that prioritize paying and growing their dividends. However, growing dividend payments are rarer than one might think. Only 68 companies listed on the benchmark S&P 500 index have grown their dividend payment for 25 ...