How to find top-quality companies with sustainable and growing dividends
Ian Mortimer, portfolio manager of Guinness Global Equity Income Fund, shares three favourites as he explains where he'd put his money

Our investment philosophy centres on a quality dividend-growth strategy. By focusing on high-quality stocks with sustainable and growing dividends, we aim to provide steady income and long-term capital growth. Rather than chasing high-yield stocks, which often underperform, we prioritise proven resilience.
Every company we invest in must deliver sustainable dividends, supported by at least ten consecutive years of strong cash returns on investment. Additional quality screens, including balance-sheet strength, narrow down the criteria further. This disciplined process often leads us beyond traditional income sectors to firms combining steady growth with attractive dividend potential. Here are three examples.
Publicis (Paris: PUB), a French advertising and media agency, is the third-largest player in its field after WPP and Omnicom. Through strategic acquisitions of Sapient, a business transformation consultancy, and Epsilon, a data firm, Publicis has evolved from focusing on traditional media to becoming a comprehensive solutions provider with cutting-edge digital capabilities. This forward-thinking strategy has driven industry-leading performance. It achieved the highest organic growth among peers for eight successive quarters.
Subscribe to MoneyWeek
Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE

Sign up to Money Morning
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Publicis excels by anticipating trends such as the rise of AI-driven marketing and the shift to first-party data, allowing it to mitigate cyclicality. Offering sector-leading margins, a 30% return on capital, and a yield of 3.5%, coupled with a 10% five-year dividend compound annual growth rate, Publicis is well positioned for both dividend and capital appreciation.
Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) is a household name and a global leader in technology, but what really stands out is the company’s innovation and adaptability. Its Azure cloud platform continues to lead the market with growth of about 30%, driven by a hybrid-cloud model and early investments in AI, including Azure AI and Copilot. AI is now a meaningful contributor to growth, solidifying Microsoft’s position at the forefront of technological advancement.
Beyond Azure, Microsoft’s diversified portfolio spans intelligent cloud, productivity and business processes, and personal computing, providing multiple high-margin growth engines. Under CEO Satya Nadella’s leadership, the company has leveraged its enduring competitive advantages, scale, and network effects to reinvest in innovation while maintaining financial strength. With a dividend policy boasting a 10% compound annual growth rate since 2010, Microsoft combines growth potential with shareholders’ returns, making it a core holding.
Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO), the world’s largest non-alcoholic beverage company, holds an unmatched position, with five of the top six global non-alcoholic carbonated drinks under its umbrella: Coca-Cola, Sprite, Fanta, Diet Coke, and Coke Zero.
Coca-Cola exemplifies a business with a formidable competitive advantage underpinned by its iconic brand and global recognition. The company has consistently found new avenues of growth through strategic initiatives such as portfolio optimisation, reformulated beverages to meet changing consumer preferences, and innovative smaller-sized packaging.
This has been reflected in the past three years, during which Coca-Cola has achieved double-digit organic growth despite high inflation. CEO James Quincey summarised Coca-Cola’s success by stating that “our all-weather strategy is working”.
This article was first published in MoneyWeek's magazine. Enjoy exclusive early access to news, opinion and analysis from our team of financial experts with a MoneyWeek subscription.
Get the latest financial news, insights and expert analysis from our award-winning MoneyWeek team, to help you understand what really matters when it comes to your finances.
Portfolio manager, Guinness Global Equity Income Fund
-
Top 10 areas with the biggest inheritance tax bills – is your town on the list?
People in some of the wealthiest parts of London pay the most inheritance tax – but there are a few areas outside the capital where big bills are paid when a loved one dies
-
Inheritance tax reform ‘largely protects family farms’ – what are the alternatives?
Independent analysis of the government’s inheritance tax reforms has found eight out of 10 farming estates will be able to pay their IHT bill without having to sell off parts of the farm
-
8 of the best properties for sale with shooting estates
The best properties for sale with shooting estates – from an estate in a designated Dark Sky area in Ayrshire, Scotland, to a hunting estate in Tuscany with a wild boar, mouflon, deer and hare shoot
-
What we can learn from Britain’s "Dashing Dozen" stocks
Stocks that consistently outperform the market are clearly doing something right. What can we learn from the UK's top performers and which ones are still buys?
-
The most likely outcome of the AI boom is a big fall
Opinion Like the dotcom boom of the late 1990s, AI is not paying off – despite huge investments being made in the hope of creating AI-based wealth
-
The rise of Robin Zeng: China’s billionaire battery king
Robin Zeng, a pioneer in EV batteries, is vying with Li Ka-shing for the title of Hong Kong’s richest person. He is typical of a new kind of tycoon in China
-
Europe’s forgotten equities offer value, growth and strong cash flows
Opinion Jonathon Regis, co-portfolio manager, Developed Markets UCITS Strategy, Lansdowne Partners, highlights forgotten equities he'd put his money in
-
How retail investors can gain exposure to Lloyd’s of London
It’s hard for retail investors to get in on the action at Lloyd’s of London. Here are some of the ways to gain exposure
-
The flaw in Terry Smith’s strategy at Fundsmith
Opinion Fundsmith has invested in some excellent companies, but it has struggled to decide when to sell, says Max King
-
The goal of business is not profit, but virtue
Opinion Serve your customers well, and the profits will follow, according to a new book. It rarely works the other way around, says Stuart Watkins