This Dividend Stock's Moat Is as Wide as It Gets. 3 Reasons to Buy and Hold It Forever.

Even among blue chip dividend stocks, Procter & Gamble (NYSE: PG) stands out for its competitive moat. It's the company behind popular consumer brands such as Gillette, Pampers, and Tide, and households buy its products fairly steadily throughout all stages of the economic cycle.

But P&G's defensive, recession-resistant core business isn't the only reason to make this consumer staples stock a "forever holding." Two other factors underscore why now represents a great opportunity to enter a long-term position.

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A deep competitive moat

Within P&G's portfolio are more than 20 brands generating at least $1 billion in annual sales. The company spends billions each year to market these brands, which helps it maintain and grow their market shares. Moreover, with so many brands under one roof, P&G has the market power and leverage to maintain shelf space with major retailers.

Thanks to these factors, the company can successfully maintain its competitive moat, mitigating its risk of losing market share to new entrants.

A dividend with 70 years of consecutive growth

Steady, rising cash flows have enabled P&G to raise its dividend for 70 consecutive years. That track record earned it a spot among the Dividend Kings, a small and select group of companies with 50 or more years of annual dividend hikes.

At the current share price, P&G has a forward dividend yield of nearly 3%. That may not sound exactly "high yield" at a time when the federal funds interest rate sits at 4%, but given the company's long track record of dividend hikes, payouts are likely to continue increasing over time. Management and analysts expect 2027 to be a transitory year, with earnings growth tempered by the short-term impact of rising costs. However, sell-side forecasts anticipate a return to mid-single-digit earnings growth in fiscal 2028.

Given its forward payout ratio of 62.4% and management's commitment to return $15 billion to shareholders via dividends and buybacks, we can expect P&G to implement its 71st consecutive annual dividend increase next spring. For long-term investors, yield on cost will likely continue to rise in the years ahead, contributing more to overall returns.

A favorable entry point

It's not as if Procter & Gamble never experiences operational headwinds. In fact, it's feeling some now. Back in August, management warned that high crude oil prices caused by the Iran war could shrink the company's post-tax earnings by $1 billion in the fiscal year that began July 1.

However, Procter & Gamble is not just sitting back and enduring such headwinds. Management's actions generated $2.8 billion in productivity improvements last fiscal year. Besides helping mitigate the impact of inflation and rising commodity prices, P&G can plow these cost savings into additional brand investment, further strengthening its competitive position.

P&G shares may seem fairly priced, at 21 times forward earnings. However, consider how the stock has pulled back due to the recent macroeconomic headwinds. As cost pressures normalize and earnings growth returns to prior levels, Procter & Gamble stock could rise on both increased earnings and multiple expansion. Mixed price performance may continue in the short term, but given the company's long-term strengths, P&G remains well-positioned to deliver solid total returns over a multiyear, or better yet, multidecade time frame.

Thomas Niel has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.