20 Companies Increasing Dividends

by Jim Woods | May 4, 2012 12:13 pm

Companies Increasing Dividends[1]It’s the thick of earnings season, and the parade of companies reporting better-than-expected numbers marches on. Along with what has been a stellar earnings season thus far, we’ve also seen a deluge of dividend divas increasing their payouts to shareholders.

This week was no exception, as a score of companies moved to make their respective owners happier. 20 companies made it onto our Companies Increasing Dividends[2] list this week:

Energy services holding company AGL Resources (NYSE:GAS[3]) opened the valve on its quarterly payout by 2.2% to 46 cents per share. The dividend will be paid June 1 to shareholders of record as of May 18. The new dividend yield, based on the May 3 closing price of $38.55 (the day the dividend was announced), is 4.77%. The stalwart energy concern has paid dividends every quarter since 1958.

Industrial specialty gases maker Airgas (NYSE:ARG[4]) inflated its quarterly largess to shareholders, raising its dividend 25% to 40 cents per share. The new dividend is payable June 29 to shareholders of record as of June 15. The new dividend yield, based on the May 3 closing price of $92.04, is 1.74%.

Electronic instrument maker Ametek (NYSE:AME[5]) turned up the dial on its quarterly dividend by 50% to 6 cents per share. The new dividend is payable June 29 to shareholders of record as of June 15. The new dividend also comes with a 3-for-2 stock split. The new dividend yield, based on the May 1 closing price of $51.07, is 0.7%.

Mining giant Barrick Gold (NYSE:ABX[6]) dug into its fiscal soil and unearthed a 33% increase in its quarterly payout to 20 cents per share. The new dividend will be paid June 15 to shareholders of record as of May 31. The new dividend yield, based on the May 2 closing price of $39.36, is 2.03%.

Energy MLP Boardwalk Pipeline Partners LP (NYSE:BWP[7]) added to its dividend pipeline, raising its payout to unitholders nearly 1% to 53.25 cents per unit. The new distribution is payable May 17 to unitholders of record as of May 10. The new dividend yield, based on the April 30 closing price of $27.63, is 7.71%.

Cardinal Health (NYSE:CAH[8]) moved to improve the vitality of its quarterly payout, increasing its dividend 10.5% to 23.75 cents per share. The payout will be made on July 15 to shareholders of record as of July 1. The new dividend yield, based on the May 2 closing price of $42.42, is 2.24%. This marks the 111th consecutive quarter of dividends from Cardinal.

Natural gas firm Chesapeake Midstream Partners LP (NYSE:CHKM[9]) turned up the heat on its quarterly distribution by 15.7% to 40.5 cents per unit. The new payout is scheduled for delivery on May 15 to unitholders of record as of May 8. The new dividend yield, based on the April 27 closing price of $27.87, is 5.81%.

Paper products manufacturer Domtar Corp (NYSE:UFS[10]) put a new package around its dividend, increasing the payout 29% to 45 cents per share. The new dividend is payable on July 16 to shareholders of record as of June 15. The new dividend yield, based on the May 2 closing price of $88.04, is 2.04%.

Health insurance giant Humana Inc. (NYSE:HUM[11]) moved to ensure shareholders that its dividend was in good shape, as the company raised its quarterly payout 4% to 26 cents per share. The new dividend is payable July 27 to shareholders of record as of June 29. The new dividend yield, based on the May 1 closing price of $84.33, is 1.23%.

Real estate and investment management firm Jones Lang LaSalle (NYSE:JLL[12]) increased its semi-annual dividend by 33% to 20 cents per share. The new dividend is payable June 15 to shareholders of record as of May 15. The new dividend yield, based on the May 2 closing price of $85.09, is 0.47%.

Asset management giant Legg Mason (NYSE:LM[13]) knows the value of dividends to shareholders, and this week the company moved to raise its own dividend by 37.5% to 11 cents per share. The new dividend is payable July 9 to shareholders of record as of June 12. The new dividend yield, based on the May 1 closing price of $25.32, is 1.74%.

Employment services firm ManpowerGroup (NYSE:MAN[14]) moved to increase the salary it pays shareholders by nearly 7% to 43 cents per share. The semi-annual dividend is payable on June 15 to shareholders of record as of June 1. The new dividend yield, based on the May 3 closing price of $41.25, is 2.08%.

Markwest Energy Partners L.P. (NYSE:MWE[15]) raised its quarterly distribution 17.9% to 79 cents per unit. The natural gas MLP will pay the new distribution on May 15 to unitholders of record as of May 7. The new dividend yield, based on the April 30 closing price of $60.15, is 5.25%.

Regional energy operator Northeast Utilities (NYSE:NU[16]) turned up the power on its quarterly payout by approximately 17% to 34.3 cents per share. The new payout will be made on June 29 to shareholders of record as of June 1. The new dividend yield, based on the May 2 closing price of $37.03, is 3.70%.

Beverage behemoth PepsiCo (NYSE:PEP[17]) added more fizz to its quarterly dividend, pouring a 4.4% increase to 53.75 cents per share. The new dividend is payable June 29 to shareholders of record as of June 1. The new dividend yield, based on the May 2 closing price of $66.83, is 3.22%.

Cigarette manufacturer Reynolds American (NYSE:RAI[18]) lit up a 5.4% increase in its quarterly payout to 59 cents per share. The new dividend is payable on July 2 to shareholders of record as of June 11. The new dividend yield, based on the May 3 closing price of $40.54, is 5.82%.

Commercial real estate investment trust Simon Property Group (NYSE:SPG[19]) raised the rent it pays shareholder by 5.3% to $1.00 per share. The new payout will be delivered May 31 to shareholders of record as of May 17. The new dividend yield, based on the April 27 closing price of $155.33, is 2.58%.

Canadian oil sands firm Suncor Energy (NYSE:SU[20]) sifted through its fiscal sand and came up with an 18.2% increase in its quarterly payout. The new dividend of 13 cents per share is payable June 25 to shareholders of record as of June 4. The new dividend yield, based on the May 1 closing price of $33.42, is 1.56%.

Rural retailer Tractor Supply Company (NASDAQ:TSCO[21]) plowed a new dividend field, watering shareholders with a 67% increase in its quarterly dividend to 20 cents per share. The new payout will be harvested June 5 by shareholders of record as of May 21. The new dividend yield, based on the May 3 closing price of $98.96, is 0.81%.

Employee benefits provider Unum Group (NYSE:UNM[22]) moved to add a fiscal benefit to shareholders by raising its dividend 23.8% to 13 cents per share. The new dividend is expected to be paid starting in the third quarter. The new dividend yield, based on the May 1 closing price of $23.73, is 2.19%.

As of this writing, Jim Woods did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned stocks. For more payout winners, see previous weeks’ lists of Companies Increasing Dividends[2].

Dividend Stocks[23]

Endnotes:

  1. [Image]: https://investorplace.com/hot-topics/companies-increasing-dividends/
  2. Companies Increasing Dividends: https://investorplace.com/hot-topics/companies-increasing-dividends/
  3. GAS: http://studio-5.financialcontent.com/investplace/quote?Symbol=GAS
  4. ARG: http://studio-5.financialcontent.com/investplace/quote?Symbol=ARG
  5. AME: http://studio-5.financialcontent.com/investplace/quote?Symbol=AME
  6. ABX: http://studio-5.financialcontent.com/investplace/quote?Symbol=ABX
  7. BWP: http://studio-5.financialcontent.com/investplace/quote?Symbol=BWP
  8. CAH: http://studio-5.financialcontent.com/investplace/quote?Symbol=CAH
  9. CHKM: http://studio-5.financialcontent.com/investplace/quote?Symbol=CHKM
  10. UFS: http://studio-5.financialcontent.com/investplace/quote?Symbol=UFS
  11. HUM: http://studio-5.financialcontent.com/investplace/quote?Symbol=HUM
  12. JLL: http://studio-5.financialcontent.com/investplace/quote?Symbol=JLL
  13. LM: http://studio-5.financialcontent.com/investplace/quote?Symbol=LM
  14. MAN: http://studio-5.financialcontent.com/investplace/quote?Symbol=MAN
  15. MWE: http://studio-5.financialcontent.com/investplace/quote?Symbol=MWE
  16. NU: http://studio-5.financialcontent.com/investplace/quote?Symbol=NU
  17. PEP: http://studio-5.financialcontent.com/investplace/quote?Symbol=PEP
  18. RAI: http://studio-5.financialcontent.com/investplace/quote?Symbol=RAI
  19. SPG: http://studio-5.financialcontent.com/investplace/quote?Symbol=SPG
  20. SU: http://studio-5.financialcontent.com/investplace/quote?Symbol=SU
  21. TSCO: http://studio-5.financialcontent.com/investplace/quote?Symbol=TSCO
  22. UNM: http://studio-5.financialcontent.com/investplace/quote?Symbol=UNM
  23. Dividend Stocks: https://investorplace.com/stock-types/dividend-stocks/

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