Is Chevron Corporation (CVX) a Good Stock to Buy?

Income investors are on the hunt for stocks that provide current dividend yields that surpass the yield on the S&P 500 Index, which currently stands around 2%. Dividend growth investors look for stocks that raise their payouts on a regular basis, at growth rates that will allow them to maintain purchasing power over time. Growth investors, on the other hand, look for companies that grow sales and profits at high rates and reward their investors with big capital gains.

A stock that provides enough to satisfy investors from all three groups is truly a special company. That’s what investors of Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX) have received over many decades of owning this fine company. Of course, investors need to focus not on what a company has done, but rather what it can offer going forward. In that vein, does Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX) still have good days ahead for investors?

A great business with great performance

Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX) is a juggernaut in the integrated energy space. The company is one of the world’s largest publicly traded stocks, with a market value in excess of $240 billion. Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX) generated more than $26 billion in profits in fiscal 2012.

Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX)’s immense proven reserves place the company in a great position going forward. Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX) added approximately 1.07 billion barrels of net oil-equivalent proved reserves in 2012, which equate to 112% of net oil-equivalent production for the year.

Not the only industry giant

It goes without saying that oil is big business. Not surprisingly, there are many highly profitable energy stocks for investors to choose from, aside from Chevron. One such stock is Marathon Oil Corporation (NYSE:MRO), a $25 billion global energy company.

Marathon Oil Corporation (NYSE:MRO) is highly profitable, evidenced by the company reporting 20% growth in diluted net income per share in the first quarter of 2013 as compared to the fourth quarter of 2012.

Like Chevron, Marathon Oil pays a dividend. However, its dividend stands at a paltry 1.9%, less than both Chevron’s payout and the dividend yield on the broader market. In addition, Marathon Oil hasn’t provided its investors with a dividend increase since early 2012, whereas Chevron has increased its dividend for 26 years in a row.

For investors interested in broadening their geographical horizons, French oil major Total SA (ADR) (NYSE:TOT) is a great international candidate to consider. Total SA (ADR) (NYSE:TOT) carries a $115 billion market capitalization. Total offers a rock-solid 5% dividend yield, and trades at a trailing price-to-earnings ratio of only 10, according to Yahoo Finance.