With the ASX populated with dividend shares, it can be hard to sift through them all to find the standouts. But although there are many dividend-paying stocks available to Australian investors, there are only a few that I think can truly be called 'dividend champions'. Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Co Ltd (ASX: SOL) is one.
Soul Patts is an investment house that owns and manages a vast underlying portfolio on behalf of its investors.
This portfolio is truly massive. It is divided into several distinct divisions. There's the 'Strategic' portfolio, which comprises major stakes in a handful of other ASX-listed stocks. These include TPG Telecom Ltd (ASX: TPG) and New Hope Corporation (ASX: NHC). But there's also the 'Large Caps' portfolio. This houses the more diversified collection of blue chip shares that Soul Patts inherited by acquiring the old Milton Corporation a few years ago.
These portfolios are supplemented by the 'Private Equity', 'Credit', 'Emerging Companies' and 'Property' divisions. The latter just got a major boost thanks to Soul Patts' acquisition of Brickworks in the second half of this year.
Soul Patts has astutely and competently managed this collection of investments for many decades. As of 23 September, the company's total shareholder return (share price growth plus dividend income) amounted to 13.7% per annum over the previous 25 years. That represents a comfortable overperformance of the broader market.
This is partly what enables Soul Patts' designation as a 'dividend champion'.
Soul Patts: An ASX dividend champion with a 27-year streak of shareholder pay rises
This company's ability to grow its investments at such a healthy rate has enabled it to build up the most impressive dividend streak on the ASX, bar none. Soul Patts has delivered an annual dividend increase to its shareholders every year for 27 consecutive years. That's from 1998 to 2025-and-counting.
To make matters even more impressive, this dividend champion also routinely attaches full franking credits to its shareholder payouts. As such, I think Soul Patts is the best dividend growth stock on the ASX as well.
To be fair, the company is not quite on the Coca-Cola level yet. But no other stock on the ASX even comes close.
Thanks to this ASX dividend champion's unparalleled track record as a dividend payer, I believe every Australian investor should consider adding it to their portfolio, particularly if you have a penchant for passive income.
At current pricing, Soul Patts shares are trading on a trailing dividend yield of 2.72%.
