I believe natural gas will be America’s energy salvation. I’ve previously discussed my favorite natural gas exploration and production firms and my top natural gas (and oil) pipeline companies. But every portfolio needs diversification to mitigate risk and/or short-term under-performance in any one sector or industry. I’d like to find good solid income, if I can, in the food, other-than-natural-gas energy, and basic materials sectors.

A number of SA contributors believe, as I do, that a steadily-increasing stream of dividend income is a key component of total return. Many advisors suggest buying a good solid company that pays 2% -- but with the likelihood of increasing that dividend year after year. My variation on that is to find a good solid company that pays 8% -- and with the likelihood of increasing that dividend year after year. I provided a chart of the increasing payout for the past 12 years from one such company, OneOK (OKS), in the second of the two articles cited above. Let’s see if we can’t find others that might provide the same kind of steady growth in other sectors.