19 Companies That Are Increasing Dividends

by Jim Woods | January 27, 2012 3:35 pm

It was another huge week of earnings reports on Wall Street, with bellwethers Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL[1]), Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT[2]) and McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD[3]) enjoying blowout results. This week’s big news also included the State of the Union address, the Fed’s decision to keep the money spigot open for about three more years, and a GDP reading showing the economy expanded at a lower-than-expected pace in the fourth quarter. With all of the news this week, it was easy to miss the plethora of companies that are pumping up payouts to shareholders. Here are 19 that are increasing dividends:

Packaging supplier Ball Corp. (NYSE:BLL[4]) put a new wrapper on its dividend, raising its quarterly payout nearly 43%, to 10 cents per share. The new dividend is payable March 15 to shareholders of record as of March 1. The new dividend yield, based on the Jan. 25 closing price of $37.70 (the day the company announced the dividend), is 1.06%. Ball also authorized the repurchase of up to 30 million shares of its common stock.

Business software maker CA Technologies (NYSE:CA[5]) rebooted its quarterly dividend to 25 cents per share from 20 cents. The new payout will be issued March 13 to shareholders of record as of Feb. 14. The new dividend yield, based on the Jan. 25 closing price of $25.04, is 4%. The company also plans to return $2.5 billion to shareholders by March 31 by increasing the annual payout and repurchasing $1.5 billion of stock, including about $230 million remaining under its existing authorization.

Railroad giant Canadian National Railway Company (NYSE:CNI[6]) put shareholders on the fast track by boosting its quarterly dividend 15% to 37.5 cents per share (Canadian). The new payout will hit the rails on March 30 to shareholders of record as of March 9. The new dividend yield, based on the Jan. 24 closing price of $75.03, is 2.00%.

Natural gas firm Chesapeake Midstream Partners L.P. (NYSE:CHKM[7]) turned up the heat to unitholders by raising its quarterly distribution 15.6% to 39 cents per unit. The new distribution is payable Feb. 14 to unitholders of record as of Feb. 7. The new dividend yield, based on the Jan. 26 closing price of $29.58, is 5.27%.

Electric and gas power provider Consolidated Edison (NYSE:ED[8]) increased the voltage on its quarterly dividend by two pennies to 60.5 cents per share. The new payout will be issued March 15 to shareholders of record as of Feb. 15. The new dividend yield, based on the Jan. 20 closing price of $58.76, is 4.12%.

Energy production and transportation giant Dominion Resources (NYSE:D[9]) added 7% more fuel to shareholders, increasing its dividend to 52.75 cents per share. The new payout will take effect March 20 to shareholders of record as of March 2. The new dividend yield, based on the Jan. 20 closing of $50.57, is 4.17%.

Pipeline operator El Paso Partners L.P. (NYSE:EPB[10]) opened up the valves on its quarterly distribution to shareholders by about 2% to 50 cents per unit. The new distribution will be made Feb. 14 to unitholders of record as of Jan. 31. The new dividend yield, based on the Jan. 20 closing price of $34.98, is 5.72%.

Healthcare REIT HCP Inc. (NYSE:HCP[11]) livened up its payout to shareholders, increasing its dividend 4.2% to 50 cents per share. The new dividend will be paid on Feb. 22 to shareholders of record as of Feb. 6. The new dividend yield, based on today’s closing stock price of $42.03, is 4.76%.

Energy portfolio asset firm Magellan Midstream Partners L.P. (NYSE:MMP[12]) increased its payout to unitholders by 2% to 81.5 cents per unit. The new distribution will be paid Feb. 14 to unitholders of record as of Feb. 7. The new dividend yield, based on the Jan. 26 closing price of $67.06, is 4.86%.

Natural gas firm Markwest Energy Partners L.P. (NYSE:MWE[13]) lifted its distribution 4.1% to 76 cents per unit. The new distribution is payable Feb. 14 to unitholders of record as of Feb. 6. The new dividend yield, based on the Jan. 26 closing price of $57.53, is 5.28%.

Railroad behemoth Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC[14]) kept its dividend rolling, increasing its quarterly payout 9.3% to 47 cents per share. The new dividend is payable March 10 to shareholders of record on Feb. 3. The new dividend yield, based on the Jan. 24 closing of $75.48, is 2.49%. The railway operator has paid dividends on its common stock for 118 consecutive quarters.

Motion control technologies firm Parker Hannifin Corp. (NYSE:PH[15]) dialed-up the controls on its dividend. The company increased its payout by 5% to 39 cents per share. The new dividend is payable March 2 to shareholders of record as of Feb. 10. The new dividend yield, based on the Jan. 26 closing price of $81.50, is 1.91%. It was the company’s 247th consecutive dividend payment.

Fertilizer producer Potash Corp. (NYSE:POT[16]) announced a more nutrient-dense payout to shareholders, increasing its dividend by a stunning 100% to 14 cents per share. The new payout will be made May 3 to shareholders of record as of Apr. 12. The new dividend yield, based on the Jan. 25 closing price of $45.23, is 1.24%.

Industrial gases company Praxair (NYSE:PX[17]) gave shareholders a little more financial gas, increasing its dividend 10% to 55 cents per share. The new quarterly payout will be made March 15 to shareholders of record as of March 7. The new dividend yield, based on the Jan. 25 closing price of $106.07, is 2.07%. This was the 19th consecutive annual increase in Praxair’s dividend.

Pest control services firm Rollins Corp (NYSE:ROL[18]) sprayed shareholders with a 14.3% increase in the company’s quarterly dividend. The new dividend of 8 cents per share is payable March 9 to shareholders of record as of Feb. 10. The new dividend yield, based on the Jan. 24 closing $22.74, is 1.41%. This was the tenth consecutive year the board has increased its dividend a minimum of 12% or greater.

Hard drive maker Seagate Technology (NASDAQ:STX[19]) increased the fiscal storage to shareholders with a 39% boost to its quarterly dividend. The new dividend of 25 cents per share will be paid on March 1 to shareholders of record as of Feb. 15. The new dividend yield, based on the Jan. 26 closing price of $19.80, is 5.05%. The company also authorized a repurchase of an additional $1 billion of its outstanding common shares.

Cable TV giant Time Warner Cable (NYSE:TWC[20]) enhanced its fiscal programming to shareholders by 17% to 56 cents per share. The new dividend is payable March 15 to shareholders of record as of Feb. 29. The new dividend yield, based on the Jan. 26 closing price of $74.51, is 3.01%. The cable provider also authorized another $4 billion in share repurchases.

Health insurer Wellpoint, Inc. (NYSE:WLP[21]) missed earnings estimates badly in Q4, but the company still found enough capital to boost its dividend by 15% to 28.75 cents per share. The new dividend yield, based on the Jan. 25 closing price of $66.10, is 1.74%.

Diversified natural gas company Williams Partners L.P. (NYSE:WPZ[22]) raised its cash distribution to unitholders 8.5% to 76.25 cents per unit. The new dividend is payable Feb. 10 to unitholders as of Feb. 3. The new dividend yield, based on the Jan. 23 closing price of $65.00, is 4.69%.

At the time of publication, Jim Woods held no positions in any of the stocks mentioned here.

Dividend Stocks[23]

Endnotes:

  1. AAPL: http://studio-5.financialcontent.com/investplace/quote?Symbol=AAPL
  2. CAT: http://studio-5.financialcontent.com/investplace/quote?Symbol=CAT
  3. MCD: http://studio-5.financialcontent.com/investplace/quote?Symbol=MCD
  4. BLL: http://studio-5.financialcontent.com/investplace/quote?Symbol=BLL
  5. CA: http://studio-5.financialcontent.com/investplace/quote?Symbol=CA
  6. CNI: http://studio-5.financialcontent.com/investplace/quote?Symbol=CNI
  7. CHKM: http://studio-5.financialcontent.com/investplace/quote?Symbol=CHKM
  8. ED: http://studio-5.financialcontent.com/investplace/quote?Symbol=ED
  9. D: http://studio-5.financialcontent.com/investplace/quote?Symbol=D
  10. EPB: http://studio-5.financialcontent.com/investplace/quote?Symbol=EPB
  11. HCP: http://studio-5.financialcontent.com/investplace/quote?Symbol=HCP
  12. MMP: http://studio-5.financialcontent.com/investplace/quote?Symbol=MMP
  13. MWE: http://studio-5.financialcontent.com/investplace/quote?Symbol=MWE
  14. NSC: http://studio-5.financialcontent.com/investplace/quote?Symbol=NSC
  15. PH: http://studio-5.financialcontent.com/investplace/quote?Symbol=PH
  16. POT: http://studio-5.financialcontent.com/investplace/quote?Symbol=POT
  17. PX: http://studio-5.financialcontent.com/investplace/quote?Symbol=PX
  18. ROL: http://studio-5.financialcontent.com/investplace/quote?Symbol=ROL
  19. STX: http://studio-5.financialcontent.com/investplace/quote?Symbol=STX
  20. TWC: http://studio-5.financialcontent.com/investplace/quote?Symbol=TWC
  21. WLP: http://studio-5.financialcontent.com/investplace/quote?Symbol=WLP
  22. WPZ: http://studio-5.financialcontent.com/investplace/quote?Symbol=WPZ
  23. Dividend Stocks: https://investorplace.com/stock-types/dividend-stocks/

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