12 Companies Increasing Dividends

by Jim Woods | March 9, 2012 11:57 am

Over the past several weeks we’ve seen huge numbers of companies boosting shareholder payouts. This week the total number of companies increasing dividends was lower than it has been recently, but the lower quantity didn’t mean the quality of the companies on today’s list is lower.

In fact, this week’s batch of dividend performers includes two tech giants, a stalwart defense contractor, one of the largest consumer-products makers, and the largest office-supply retailer. Here are 12 companies increasing dividends:

Semiconductor-manufacturing giant Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT[1]) processed a 13% jump in its quarterly payout, raising its dividend to 9 cents per share. The new dividend is payable June 14 to shareholders of record as of May 24. The new dividend yield, based on the March 5 closing price of $12.03 (the day the dividend was announced), is 2.99%.

Canadian financial giant Bank of Nova Scotia (NYSE:BNS[2]) proved it was fiscally fit, revitalizing its dividend by 5.8%, to 55 cents per share (Canadian). The new payout will be made on April 26 to shareholders of record as of April 3. The new dividend yield, based on the March 7 closing price of $52.72, is 4.17%.

Apartment REIT Camden Property Trust (NYSE:CPT[3]) raised its payout to shareholders each quarter by 14.3%, to 56 cents per share. The new dividend will be delivered April 17 to tenants of record as of March 30. The new dividend yield, based on the March 8 closing price of $62.51, is 3.58%.

Consumer-products behemoth Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL[4]) gave shareholders with a 7% hike in its quarterly dividend, to 62 cents per share. The new dividend will be paid May 15 to shareholders of record as of April 24. The new dividend yield, based on the March 8 closing price of $93.94, is 2.64%. The company has paid uninterrupted dividends on its common stock since 1895.

Suburban housing REIT Douglas Emmett (NYSE:DEI[5]) built up its quarterly payout, raising its dividend 15%, to 15 cents per share. The new dividend will be paid on April 13 to shareholders of record as of March 30. The new dividend yield, based on the March 5 closing price of $21.83, is 2.75%.

Income-oriented property REIT Equity Lifestyle Properties (NYSE:ELS[6]) provided a 16.7% boost to its shareholders. The new quarterly payout of 43.75 cents per share will be paid on April 13 to shareholders of record on March 30. The new dividend yield, based on the March 6 closing price of $67.77, is 2.58%.

Defense aviation and technology contractor General Dynamics (NYSE:GD[7]) launched a bigger dividend payload to shareholders. The new quarterly payout of 51 cents per share is an 8.5% increase over the previous quarter. The new dividend is payable May 11 to shareholders of record as of April 13. The new dividend yield, based on the March 7 closing price of $71.25, is 2.64%.

Luxury lodging REIT Host Hotels & Resorts (NYSE:HST[8]) booked an upgrade in its quarterly payout by 20%, to 6 cents per share. The new dividend will be checking in on April 16 to shareholders of record as of March 30. The new dividend yield, based on the March 8 closing price of $15.34, is 1.56%.

Pediatric formula maker Mead Johnson Nutrition (NYSE:MJN[9]) gave investors a bigger bottle as it raised its quarterly payout 15%, to 30 cents per share. The new dividend will be paid April 3 to shareholders of record as of March 16. The new dividend yield, based on the March 5 closing price of $78.96, is 1.52%.

Energy distributor Piedmont Natural Gas (NYSE:PNY[10]) turned up the heat on its quarterly payout, raising its dividend 3.4%, to 30 cents per share. The increased dividend is payable April 13 to shareholders of record as of March 23. The new dividend yield, based on the March 8 closing price of $32.41, is 3.70%.

Digital-communications giant Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM[11]) boosted its dividend signal by 16%, to 25 cents per share. The new payout will be issued after March 23. The new dividend yield, based on the March 6 closing price of $61.56, is 1.62%. Qualcomm also announced a new $4.0 billion stock repurchase program to replace the prior $3.0 billion repurchase program.

Office-supply retailer Staples (NASDAQ:SPLS[12]) stocked shareholder’s shelves with a 10% increase in its quarterly dividend, to 11 cents per share. The new payout will be made on April 12 to shareholders of record as of March 23. The new dividend yield, based on the March 6 closing price of $15.37, is 2.86%.

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

Dividend Stocks[13]

Endnotes:

  1. AMAT: http://studio-5.financialcontent.com/investplace/quote?Symbol=AMAT
  2. BNS: http://studio-5.financialcontent.com/investplace/quote?Symbol=BNS
  3. CPT: http://studio-5.financialcontent.com/investplace/quote?Symbol=CPT
  4. CL: http://studio-5.financialcontent.com/investplace/quote?Symbol=CL
  5. DEI: http://studio-5.financialcontent.com/investplace/quote?Symbol=DEI
  6. ELS: http://studio-5.financialcontent.com/investplace/quote?Symbol=ELS
  7. GD: http://studio-5.financialcontent.com/investplace/quote?Symbol=GD
  8. HST: http://studio-5.financialcontent.com/investplace/quote?Symbol=HST
  9. MJN: http://studio-5.financialcontent.com/investplace/quote?Symbol=MJN
  10. PNY: http://studio-5.financialcontent.com/investplace/quote?Symbol=PNY
  11. QCOM: http://studio-5.financialcontent.com/investplace/quote?Symbol=QCOM
  12. SPLS: http://studio-5.financialcontent.com/investplace/quote?Symbol=SPLS
  13. Dividend Stocks: https://investorplace.com/stock-types/dividend-stocks/

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