The Thanksgiving-shortened week of Nov. 19 didn’t stop companies from announcing dividend increases, but for the sake of readers who preferred to take up the turkey leftovers rather than the markets last Friday, we’ve lumped together the last two weeks’ worth of dividend increase news.
Also worth noting is a trend of several companies — including Disney (NYSE:DIS), Hormel (NYSE:HRL) and Seagate Technology (NASDAQ:STX) — that have pushed up their dividend payout dates from January to December to beat a possible dividend tax hike as a result of fiscal cliff negotiations in Washington.
All told, 27 companies joined our list of Companies Increasing Dividends within the past two weeks. (Note: All new yields are as of Nov. 30 midday prices.)
Real estate investment trust Alexandria Real Estate Equities (NYSE:ARE) raised its quarterly dividend 6% to 56 cents per share, payable on Jan. 15, 2013, to shareholders of record on Dec. 31, 2012.
ARE Dividend Yield: 3.3%
Florida bank holding company BankUnited (NYSE:BKU) raised its dividend 23.5% to 21 cents per share, payable Dec. 27 to stockholders of record as on Dec. 13. This is BKU’s second increase since the company started paying dividends in 2011.
BKU Dividend Yield: 3.6%
Medical tech firm Becton, Dickinson & Co. (NYSE:BDX) — one of InvestorPlace‘s Dependable Dividend Stocks — raised its dividend 10% to 49.5 cents per share, payable Dec. 31 to shareholders of record as on Dec. 10. BDX has increased its annual dividend for 41 consecutive years.
BDX Dividend Yield: 2.59%
C&F Financial (NASDAQ:CFFI), holding company for Citizens and Farmers Bank and other subsidiaries, raised its quarterly dividend 7.41% to 29 cents per share, payable Dec. 21 to shareholders of record on Dec. 14.
CFFI Dividend Yield: 3.41%
Horse racing, casino gaming and entertainment company Churchill Downs (NASDAQ:CHDN) raised its quarterly dividend 20% to 72 cents per share, payable Dec. 21 to shareholders of record on Nov. 28.
CHDN Dividend Yield: 1.14%
Diversified entertainment titan Disney (NYSE:DIS) raised its annual dividend 25% to 75 cents per share, payable on Dec. 28 to shareholders of record as of Dec. 10.
DIS Dividend Yield: 1.52%
Erie Indemnity (NASDAQ:ERIE), which provides sales and other services to Erie Insurance Exchange, raised its quarterly dividend 7.2% to 59.25 cents on each Class “A” share, and 88.875 cents for each Class “B” share, paid on Dec. 21 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on Dec. 7.
ERIE Dividend Yield: 3.32%
Regional bank holding company Glacier Bancorp (NASDAQ:GBCI) raised its quarterly dividend 85% to 8 cents per share, payable Dec. 20 to owners of record on Dec. 11. Glacier has paid a dividend for 111 consecutive quarters.
GBCI Dividend Yield: 3.61%
Meat producer and Dependable Dividend Stock Hormel (NYSE:HRL) raised its quarterly dividend 13% to 68 cents per share, payable Feb. 15, 2013, to stockholders of record at the close of business on Jan. 21. The increase is the 47th consecutive year of dividend increases for the company.
HRL Dividend Yield: 2.19%
Hotel REIT Host Hotels (NYSE:HST) raised its quarterly dividend 12.5% to 9 cents per share, payable Jan. 15, 2013, to stockholders of record on Dec. 31, 2012.
HST Dividend Yield: 2.46%
Global gaming equipment maker International Game Technology (NYSE:IGT) raised its dividend 17% to 7 cents per share, payable Dec. 31 to shareholders of record on Dec. 19. The increase marks the 39th consecutive year of dividend increases, the most in the gaming industry.
IGT Dividend Yield: 2.04%
Nutritional snack food producer J&J Snack Foods (NASDAQ:JJSF) raised its quarterly dividend 16% to 23 cents per share, payable Dec. 27 to shareholders of record as of Dec. 11.
JJSF Dividend Yield: 0.83%
Spice and seasonings maker McCormick (NYSE:MKC) — another Dependable Dividend Stock — raised its quarterly dividend 9.6% to 34 cents per share, payable Jan. 14, 2013, to shareholders of record Dec. 31, 2012. The increase marks the 27th consecutive year that the company has increased its quarterly dividend.
MKC Dividend Yield: 2.12%
Global healthcare giant Merck (NYSE:MRK) raised its quarterly dividend 2.4% to 43 cents per share, payable Jan. 8, 2013, to shareholders of record on Dec. 17, 2012.
MRK Dividend Yield: 3.88%
Insurance and reinsurance provider Montpelier Re Holdings (NYSE:MRH) raised its quarterly dividend 15% to 11.5 cents per share, payable on or before Jan. 15, 2013, to all shareholders of record as of Dec. 31, 2012.
MRH Dividend Yield: 2.1%
Energy services provider OGE (NYSE:OGE) raised its quarterly dividend 6.37% to 41.75 cents per share, payable Jan. 30, 2013, to shareholders of record as of Jan. 10. OGE has paid a dividend for 65 consecutive years.
OGE Dividend Yield: 2.94%
Global food and beverage company PepsiCo (NYSE:PEP) raised its quarterly dividend 4% to 53.75 cents per share, payable Jan. 2, 2013, to shareholders of record on Dec. 7, 2012. 2012 marks the company’s 40th consecutive annual dividend increase, putting it on our list of Dependable Dividend Stocks.
PEP Dividend Yield: 3.07%
Footwear manufacturer R.G. Barry (NASDAQ:DFZ) raised its quarterly dividend 12.5% to 9 cents per share, payable on Dec. 28 to shareholders of record on Dec. 14.
DFZ Dividend Yield: 2.39%
Gas holding company RGC Resources (NASDAQ:RGCO) raised its quarterly dividend 2.8% to 18 cents per quarter, payable on Feb. 1, 2013, to shareholders of record on Jan. 15.
RGCO Dividend Yield: 4.06%
Electronic storage device maker Seagate Technology (NASDAQ:STX) raised its quarterly dividend 18.75% to 38 cents per share, payable Dec. 28 to stockholders of record as of the close of business on Dec. 14.
STX Dividend Yield: 5.13%
New York commercial REIT SL Green (NYSE:SLG) raised its quarterly dividend 32% to 33 cents per share, payable Jan. 15, 2013, to shareholders of record at the close of business on Jan. 2.
SLG Dividend Yield: 1.76%
Jersey-area energy services company South Jersey Gas (NYSE:SJI) raised its quarterly dividend 10% to 44.25 cents per share, payable Dec. 28 to shareholders of record at the close of business Dec. 10.
SJI Dividend Yield: 3.57%
Virginia financial stock TowneBank (NASDAQ:TOWN) raised its quarterly dividend 12.5% to 9 cents per share, payable Dec. 28 to shareholders of record on Dec. 7.
TOWN Dividend Yield: 2.45%
Private investment banking firm Triangle Capital (NYSE:TCAP) raised its quarterly dividend 12.8% to 53 cents per share, payable Dec. 26 to shareholders of record on Dec. 12.
TCAP Dividend Yield: 8.34%
Meat protein and food production company Tyson Foods (NYSE:TSN) raised its quarterly dividend 25% to 5 cents per share on both its Class “A’ and Class “B” shares, payable Dec. 14 to shareholders of record at the close of business on Nov. 30.
TSN Dividend Yield: 1.05%
Bank holding company United Bankshares (NASDAQ:UBSI) raised its dividend 2% to 31 cents per share, payable Jan. 2, 2013, for shareholders of record as of Dec. 14, 2012. This marks the 39th consecutive year of dividend increases to UBSI shareholders.
UBSI Dividend Yield: 5%
Water purifier and distributor York Water (NASDAQ:YORW) raised its quarterly dividend 3.5% to 13.83 cents per share, payable Jan. 15, 2013, to stockholders of record on Dec. 31, 2012. This is the 16th consecutive year York has increased its dividend.
YORW Dividend Yield: 3.16%
Marc Bastow is an Assistant Editor at InvestorPlace.com. As of this writing, he did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities. For more payout winners, see previous weeks’ lists of Companies Increasing Dividends.
