Given the market's sharp rise this year, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite rising about 15% and 14%, respectively, as of this writing, it's getting increasingly difficult to find good stocks to buy and hold for the long term. Many stocks' valuations have just become too pricey.

One way for investors to navigate a market like this is to turn to high-quality companies paying out dividends likely to grow over the long haul. Not only does each dividend payment take some risk off the table for the investor by paying out cash to shareholders, but companies with strong dividend prospects are typically also profitable and resilient -- increasing their odds of providing shareholder returns through share price appreciation over the long haul.

One dividend stock that meets these high standards is American Express (NYSE: AXP). This robust business demonstrates its consistent earnings power and fundamental strength through both a growing bottom line and dividend.

Strong earnings growth

In a macroeconomic environment many management teams are calling "challenging," you wouldn't guess it by looking at American Express' recent financial performance. Second-quarter revenue rose 8% year over year (9% when adjusted for currency fluctuations). Even more impressive, however, was the company's significant earnings per share (EPS) growth. The integrated payments company's EPS soared 44% year over year.

The company's unique business model is exceptionally good at producing earnings in almost any market. For instance, when cardmember spending growth decelerates as economic conditions become more challenging, American Express' rewards expenses also come down, bolstering profitability. Further, when consumer budgets get tight, loan balances increase and thus interest income grows. Additionally, its high-spending cardmembers are more resilient than the average cardholder at its competitors, rewarding American Express with delinquency rates that are the envy of the industry.

Of course, this business model is backed by American Express' secret sauce -- its rapidly growing fee revenue. Many of the company's most popular cards have very high annual fees, enabling it to provide a membership-like experience for its customers. Indeed, the company calls its cardholders "card members."

Since its members love the experiences they get in return for paying high fees, this model is working very well. Net card fee revenue in Q2 increased 16% year over year. This comes primarily from new customer acquisition, where 70% of new accounts are premium fee-based products, management said in the company's second-quarter earnings call.

Impressive dividend history

This powerful business model is translating into impressive growth in the company's quarterly dividend. Earlier this year, management increased the payout to $0.70, up more than 8% from what it was paying previously. On an annual basis, American Express' dividend payments now add up to $2.80, giving the stock a dividend yield of 1.1%. Growth in the dividend is particularly impressive when you zoom out three years. Today's quarterly payment is up 63% during this period.

Looking ahead, American Express will likely continue increasing its dividend, supported by both a low payout ratio (the amount of annualized earnings the company is paying out in dividends) of 19% and robust earnings growth. Further, strong business fundamentals combined with the stock's conservative valuation of 19 times earnings make the stock look attractive at today's price. Considering this earnings momentum and compelling valuation, perhaps investors who buy shares today will benefit from strong share price appreciation over the long haul.

Of course, American Express (and its stock) could suffer if a recession ensues. With much of its cardmember spending being in discretionary categories, the pullback in spending could be significant during tough economic times. But for the investors willing to hold shares through the other side of a recession and a subsequent recovery, the overall risk-reward profile of American Express stock looks quite attractive today.

Should you invest $1,000 in American Express right now?

Before you buy stock in American Express, consider this:

The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and American Express wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.

Consider when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $656,938!*

Stock Advisor provides investors with an easy-to-follow blueprint for success, including guidance on building a portfolio, regular updates from analysts, and two new stock picks each month. The Stock Advisor service has more than quadrupled the return of S&P 500 since 2002*.

See the 10 stocks ?

*Stock Advisor returns as of September 3, 2024

American Express is an advertising partner of The Ascent, a Motley Fool company. Daniel Sparks and his clients have 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.

Here's My Top Dividend Stock for the Long Haul was originally published by The Motley Fool