Leggett & Platt (LEG) was founded in 1883.  Here’s some other notable eventsform 1883:

  • Time zones were created
  • Krakatoa volcano erupted
  • Buffalo Bill created his Buffalo Bill Wild West Show
  • Much has changed in the world since 1883, but Leggett & Platt is still around.  The company has a market cap of nearly $6 billion today.

    Leggett & Platt’s primary business is spring and coil mattress manufacturing.  People need mattresses today just as much as they did in 1883.

    Leggett & Platt

     

    Leggett & Platt Sector & Business Summary

    Leggett & Platt operates under four distinct business segments:

  • Residential:  48% of total 2014 revenues
  • Specialized:  22% of total 2014 revenues
  • Industrial:  18% of total 2014 revenues
  • Commercial:  12% of total 2014 revenues
  • The business units in each segment are detailed in the image below from Leggett & Platt’s November 2015 Company Update (slide 22):

    Leggett & Platt Sector Overview

     

    Leggett & Platt Stock Dividend History

    Leggett & Platt’s large presence in a slow changing industry has allowed the company to increase its dividend payments for 44 consecutive years.

    The image below shows the company’s dividend history since 1989 (the first full year of dividend data for the company on Yahoo! Finance).

    Leggett & Platt Dividend History

     

    When I last analyzed Leggett & Platt, the company had increased dividends for 43 years.  In August of 2015, the company increased its dividend a modest 3.2% to make 44 consecutive years of dividend increases.

    Competitive Advantage

    Leggett & Platt manufactures and sells the majority of its products in the United States.

    84 out of 133 of the company’s manufacturing facilities are located in the United States.

    Leggett & Platt Manufacturing Segments
    Source:  2014 Annual Report, page 18

    Leggett & Platt has a competitive advantage in spring mattress manufacturing and related industries – specifically in the United States.