Long-term investors can take full advantage of dividend stocks by harnessing the power of compounding interest. The best way to do that is to sign up for a dividend reinvestment plan (DRIP) and direct stock purchase plan (DSPP), should the company offer it. This allows you to automatically reinvest your dividends. You can also purchase shares, fractional or whole, without the need of having to use a broker. Buy-and-hold investing might not impress your friends, but it can be lucrative. One of the world’s biggest food companies, General Mills, Inc. (NYSE:GIS) sells its products in over 100 countries. Many of the company’s brands hold the first- and second-place selling positions, including “Gold Medal” flour, “Pillsbury” refrigerated dough, “Cheerios,” and “Betty Crocker” dessert mixes. Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) is the country’s largest wholesale club operator, with 715 warehouses and 86.7 million cardholders.. Most of the company’s warehouses are located in the U.S. (501), Canada (91), Mexico (36), the United Kingdom (28), and Japan (25).