Roper Technologies, Inc. (ROP)

Roper buys niche software companies and holds them without trying to merge them.

The strategy is stated plainly: acquire businesses holding a small market with a high share, where switching costs are large and competition scarce — software for law firms, insurance agencies, transport companies. Such products grow slowly but produce steady cash flow with little investment.

The company deliberately moved out of industrial equipment into software: lower capital intensity, higher margins, recurring revenue. Divisions operate independently and no synergies are sought — value comes from target selection and purchase-price discipline rather than integration. Roper pays a dividend with a long record of increases.