Markel
The strength of specialty insurer Markel (MKL, news) is demonstrated by its long history of value creation. Its ability to grow book value year after year is a credit to Thomas Gayner, who has been the president of the Glen Allen, Va., company for nearly a year and its chief investment officer for about a decade.
But the company also has other long-tenured managers, as well as strong underwriting practices and solid relationships with key suppliers. The stock is priced at 1.3 times book value. It's not mortgage-the-house cheap, but great businesses rarely are.
Exxon Mobil
With energy becoming such a strategic asset, Exxon Mobil (XOM, news) should be able to deliver solid returns despite its massive size. Wherever the future of energy lies, this company will be there.
The Houston company made a big bet on domestic natural gas with its $41 billion all-stock deal for XTO Energy in late 2009, and that deal is looking better as gas prices rise following the recent nuclear disaster in Japan.
National Grid
Regulated returns, a nice payout, stability -- there's a lot to like about National Grid (NGG, news). This utility player has inflation-protected rates in the United Kingdom, where it earns 60% of its operating profit. Its toll-road-like assets provide an inflation hedge, too.
The London company's management has committed to 8% dividend jumps for the next couple of years.
Ride the gains
The way to wealth involves finding great businesses at reasonable prices, watching as management gets comfortable with the ebbs and flows of the business, buying in when the price is right and letting those gains ride.
These seven stocks fill the bill, and their solid and growing dividends give you even more reason to hang on to these stalwarts through the years.
I'll take AT&T, GE, Intel, Microsoft, XLE, XLF and XLU
