Want Reliable Dividend Income? Then Buy This Industrial Stock and Never Sell.

Investing in dividend stocks is an excellent way to unlock your portfolio's potential and generate passive income while you sleep. Dividend stocks involve companies that share a portion of their earnings with investors, typically on a quarterly basis, making them ideal for those focused on generating income from their investments.

These stocks provide an additional advantage. According to a study conducted by Hartford Funds, companies that consistently increase their dividend payouts outperform those that do not and experience less volatility over time. If this sounds appealing to you, here's an industrial dividend stock to buy and hold for the long haul.

Image source: Getty Images.

Emerson Electric has grown its dividend payout for over 69 years

Emerson Electric (NYSE: EMR) exemplifies reliability with its steady dividend, which it has grown every year for the past 69 years. This achievement places Emerson among the exclusive group of stocks known as Dividend Kings, companies that have consistently raised their dividends for 50 years or more.

Maintaining this long history of increasing its dividend payout illustrates Emerson's resilience across numerous economic cycles and recessions, a testament to its business model and disciplined approach to capital management.

Emerson provides technology and engineering services, specializing in automation technologies, control software, and engineering to optimize operations. The company provides hardware instruments that measure and control operating environments -- things like control valves, actuators, and regulators used by energy producers and utility companies. It also offers software and digital platforms to help industrial customers increase efficiency and improve the safety and reliability of their equipment.

Emerson is leveraging AI to build on its strong moat

Emerson has historically provided heavy industrial machinery, mechanical valves, and legacy hardware, but has pivoted toward automation, focusing on software-defined control systems and Industrial Internet of Things (IoT) solutions. When customers adopt its process control systems, switching costs are high, giving it a strong economic moat that generates recurring revenue and enables Emerson to navigate economic environments.

Last year, the company acquired full ownership of AspenTech as part of its growing software business, turning Emerson into a leaner "software-defined control" industrial technology giant, according to CEO Lal Karsanbhai. Looking ahead, Emerson is working through its $11 billion project pipeline, driven by strong demand for its Ovation automation platform in the power sector as data centers ramp up behind-the-meter power solutions.

Emerson Electric has a long history of rewarding investors through a growing dividend. Its 69-year streak appears well intact, as it maintains a payout ratio around 50%, providing some margin of safety and room to continue growing its dividend. Its pivot into AI automation should help it stay on top as a key partner for industrial companies, making Emerson Electric a smart dividend stock to buy and hold for the long term.

Courtney Carlsen has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Emerson Electric. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.