PM Images Written by Nick Ackerman. Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither are dividend growth stocks. Dividend aristocrats are those that have raised their dividends for 25 consecutive years and also are included in the S&P 500 Index. For some added context, dividend champions are also companies that have raised their dividends for 25 consecutive years but don't belong in the S&P 500 Index. Clearly, both are an accomplishment, and I wouldn't necessarily pick one over the other. That said, we have 4 notabl ...