Three stocks to buy for consistent dividend growth
Professional investor Sam Morse, portfolio of the Fidelity European Trust, selects three attractively valued stocks that should provide dividend growth over the next few years.
Our investment philosophy is shaped by the belief that long-term returns will be driven by the fundamental business performance of the companies we own. We therefore aim to look beyond the economic and political noise and concentrate on the real-life fundamentals of the listed businesses we invest in. As a market, Europe is large, international and diverse, meaning it offers us plenty of opportunities.
Our focus is on finding companies we believe can grow their dividends consistently, irrespective of the prevailing economic conditions. History shows us that this characteristic is a marker of quality that can help to identify stocks likely to outperform the market, so most of our time is spent looking at individual businesses.
However, we also keep one eye on the wider market because we want to maintain a balanced portfolio across sectors and by size of company. So despite the uncertain economic backdrop, a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, the rollout of vaccines and the finer details of Brexit, the portfolio remains balanced in terms of exposure to different industries and our focus is still on finding attractively valued companies with good prospects for cash generation and dividend growth over three to five years.
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
The world’s biggest food business
Nestlé (Zurich: NESN) is the largest holding in the portfolio and a long-standing investment. As the world’s largest food business, Nestlé has a strong strategic position in its markets and operates in several categories where there is both strong growth and high emotional engagement, such as pet care. Nestlé has a robust balance sheet, offers attractive high single-digit earnings growth and has a consistent record of paying attractive dividends to shareholders. Looking ahead we see further opportunities for the business to expand its core offerings, while management can pursue efficiencies and divest lower-value businesses.
A one-stop shop for global growth
Prosus (Amsterdam: PRX) is a relatively new name for the trust, but is a stock we have monitored for some time. Prosus is a holding company with major investments in some of the world’s leading online consumer franchises. This is an interesting business that offers European investors access to structural-growth themes we see more prominently in other markets: Europe generally lacks the technology leaders we see in the US and China.
Prosus is well positioned to benefit from the accelerating trend towards online activity the Covid-19 pandemic has caused, with the growth in e-gaming and e-commerce unlikely to subside to pre-pandemic levels as economies reopen.
The company has a very strong balance sheet. Since its initial public offering in 2019, Prosus has traded at a huge discount to the listed companies it invests in. It also pays an attractive dividend.
Another stock we like is Enel (Milan: ENEL), an integrated electricity utility operating in generation and distribution across Italy, Spain and Latin America. We see Enel as particularly well placed to benefit from the move towards renewables, both directly and through its many subsidiaries. As a utility, Enel offers an attractive yield and a dividend that will grow as the firm expands its contracted solar and on-shore wind power generation capabilities.
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.
Sam Morse is a portfolio manager of Fidelity European Values.He joined Fidelity in 1990 as a research analyst and four years later he progressed as a portfolio manager in 1994, where he was responsible for running several retail UK equity funds and mandates. In 1997 Sam joined M&G as Head of UK Equities and one fund he ran in particular was the M&G UK Growth Fund. Sam then went back to Fidelity in 2004 as Head of the Institutional UK Equity Team, and his role consisted of developing UK equity solutions for institutional clients and managing UK equity portfolios. Since 2009 to present, Sam continues to manage the Fidelity European Fund and Fidelity European Trust PLC since 2011.
-
What is the 25x retirement rule and does it work?
The 25x retirement rule has been around for decades but many experts question if it is a suitable strategy
-
When is the self-assessment tax return deadline?
If you are self-employed, rent out a property or earn income from savings or investments, you may need to complete a self-assessment tax return. We run through the deadlines you need to know about
-
Are wealthy whisky enthusiasts leaving Britain?
Collectables Wealthy whisky enthusiasts are heading to tax-friendly countries such as Dubai, where there is more disposable income to spend on collectable luxuries like rare whisky.
-
'The rise and fall of Kodak is a lesson for the tech giants'
Opinion The long decline of Kodak – a once-dominant company – shows why no business is safe from disruption, says Matthew Lynn
-
8 of the best properties for sale with kitchen gardens
The best properties for sale with kitchen gardens – from a 17th-century timber-framed hall house in Norfolk, to an Arts & Crafts house in West Sussex designed by Charles Voysey with a garden by Gertrude Jekyll
-
Why investors can no longer trust traditional statistical indicators
Opinion The statistical indicators and data investors have relied on for decades are no longer fit for purpose. It's time to move on, says Helen Thomas
-
Investors rediscover the virtue of value investing over growth
Growth investing, betting on rapidly expanding companies, has proved successful since 2008. But now the other main investment style seems to be coming back into fashion.
-
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
-
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
-
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?