Investors in Australia may not realise it, but one of the most secure dividend payers in the local share market is BHP

Investors in Australia may not realise it, but one of the most secure dividend payers in the local share market is BHP. They have increased annual dividend payments to shareholders in every year, without interruption, including throughout the depths of the Global Financial Crisis. Not even the banks, widely regarded as the safest dividend providers in the market, have such a track record.?Which instantenously explains why BHP shares tend to find support at around 4% projected yield, while Woodside Petroleum, for example, needs to offer at least 6% to get investors excited. BHP shares have now bounced off the 4% support level on ten different occasions since April last year. Bottom line: BHP's dividends are a rock solid feature and the 4% dividend support is something both investors and traders maybe should consider taking on board as yet another tool to time and define levels of entry.