That “pop” you heard near the end of 2014 might have been someone uncorking the Asti … or it was the sound of a horde of blue-chip dividend stocks unloading even bigger payouts as we headed into the new year.

It was hard to complain about how 2014 ended. Q4 saw the S&P 500 rebound by more than 5% to lock in double-digit gains for the year. And a host of dividend stocks upgraded their regular payouts — including a who’s who of big, dependable names.

Some of the highlights of this past quarter’s list of dividend raisers? Well, we’ve got nine members of InvestorPlace’s Dependable Dividend Stocks, and 10 Dow Jones Industrial Average components.

• The 10 Best Stocks for 2015

Sweeter still? Among our list of 45 stocks, 15 still have yet to go ex-dividend, meaning anyone who jumps into these shares in the near future will be collecting that fatter dividend within the next couple of months.

As always, we’ll mention that this list of dividend stocks isn’t a recommendation — merely a reference point for anyone looking at potential income investments (especially those that are putting upward pressure on their payouts).

So, let’s take a look at 45 blue-chip dividend stocks that felt some seasonal generosity and bumped up their payments over the past three months. Information includes the new payout, percentage increase, dividend yield based on the closing price on Sept. 29, and payment and record dates:

3M Co (MMM)*

New Payout	% increase	Dividend Yield as of 1/2	Payment Date	Record date
$1.025	19.9%	2.51%	March 12	Feb. 13
* Goes ex-dividend Feb. 11

Abbott Laboratories (ABT)*

NEW PAYOUT	% INCREASE	DIVIDEND YIELD AS OF 1/2	PAYMENT DATE	RECORD DATE
$0.24	9.1%	2.13%	Feb. 13	Jan. 15
* Goes ex-dividend Jan. 13

AbbVie Inc (ABBV)*

NEW PAYOUT	% INCREASE	DIVIDEND YIELD AS OF 1/2	PAYMENT DATE	RECORD DATE
$0.49	16.7%	2.97%	Feb. 13	Jan. 15
* Goes ex-dividend Jan. 13

The Abbott family unleashed a pair of dividend increases in Q4, as Abbott Laboratories (ABT) and AbbVie Inc (ABBV) both announced their payouts due out in February. Abbott improved its dividend by 9% while AbbVie upped its payout by 16.7%, capping off a great year for shareholders in both Dependable Dividend Stocks — ABT finished the year up 17%, while ABBV shares gained nearly 25%.

American Electric Power Company Inc (AEP)

New Payout	% increase	Dividend Yield as of 1/2	Payment Date	Record date
$0.53	6%	3.47%	Dec. 10	Nov. 10

Aetna Inc (AET)*

New Payout	% increase	Dividend Yield as of 1/2	Payment Date	Record date
$0.25	11.1%	1.13%	Jan. 30	Jan. 15
* Goes ex-dividend Jan. 13

Aflac Incorporated (AFL)

New Payout	% increase	Dividend Yield as of 1/2	Payment Date	Record date
$0.39	5.4%	2.56%	Dec. 1	Nov. 19

AmerisourceBergen Corp. (ABC)

New Payout	% increase	Dividend Yield as of 1/2	Payment Date	Record date
$0.29	23.4%	1.28%	Dec. 1	Nov. 17

Amgen, Inc. (AMGN)*

New Payout	% increase	Dividend Yield as of 1/2	Payment Date	Record date
$0.79	29.5%	1.97%	March 6	Feb. 12
* Goes ex-dividend Feb. 10

2014 ended up as a great year for biotech stocks, including Amgen, Inc. (AMGN). AMGN shares finished the year strong, getting nearly half their YTD gains in the final quarter to finish up almost 40% for 2014, spurred by an earnings beat in late October. Also in that report: a major improvement to its quarterly dividend.

Automatic Data Processing (ADP)

New Payout	% increase	Dividend Yield as of 1/2	Payment Date	Record date
$0.49	2.1%	2.36%	Jan. 1	Dec. 12

Becton, Dickenson and Co. (BDX)

New Payout	% increase	Dividend Yield as of 1/2	Payment Date	Record date
$0.60	10.1%	1.72%	Dec. 31	Dec. 10

Boeing Co (BA)*

New Payout	% increase	Dividend Yield as of 1/2	Payment Date	Record date
$0.91	24.7%	2.38%	March 6	Feb. 13
* Goes ex-dividend Feb. 11

BP plc (ADR) (BP)

New Payout	% increase	Dividend Yield as of 1/2	Payment Date	Record date
$0.60	5.3%	6.02%	Dec. 19	Nov. 7

One of the biggest stories of 2014’s fourth quarter was the collapse in oil prices — and the subsequent collapse in energy stocks. BP plc (ADR) (BP) was hardly immune, falling 11% in the final three months to finish 20% in the red for 2014.

However, the bright side for new money is that, factoring in BP’s latest dividend increase, shares are yielding an enormous 6% at current prices — easily one of the best yields among these dividend stocks.

Corning Incorporated (GLW)*

New Payout	% increase	Dividend Yield as of 1/2	Payment Date	Record date
$0.12	20%	2.1%	March 31	Feb. 27
* Goes ex-dividend Feb. 25

CVS Health Corp (CVS)*

New Payout	% increase	Dividend Yield as of 1/2	Payment Date	Record date
$0.35	27%	1.47%	Feb. 2	Jan. 22
* Goes ex-dividend Jan. 20

Pharmacy stocks must be sad to see 2014 go. CVS Health Corp (CVS) and Walgreen Company (WAG) each ripped off 30%-plus gains for the year, while their smaller rival Rite Aid Corporation (RAD) saw its shares zoom higher by almost 50%.

CVS closed out the year with strong 2015 earnings guidance, expecting profits to come in between 12.5% and 15.75% higher than the previous year. Moreover, it dished out a big 27% increase to its quarterly payout, which now sits at 35 cents per share.

Dow Chemical Co (DOW)

New Payout	% increase	Dividend Yield as of 1/2	Payment Date	Record date
$0.42	13.5%	3.69%	Jan. 30	Dec. 31

Ecolab Inc. (ECL)

New Payout	% increase	Dividend Yield as of 1/2	Payment Date	Record date
$0.33	20%	1.27%	Jan. 15	Dec. 16

Eli Lilly and Co (LLY)*

New Payout	% increase	Dividend Yield as of 1/2	Payment Date	Record date
$0.50	2%	2.85%	March 10	Feb. 13
* Goes ex-dividend Feb. 11

Emerson Electric Co. (EMR)

New Payout	% increase	Dividend Yield as of 1/2	Payment Date	Record date
$0.47	9.3%	3.07%	Dec. 10	Nov. 14

General Electric Company (GE)

New Payout	% increase	Dividend Yield as of 1/2	Payment Date	Record date
$0.23	4.5%	3.68%	Jan. 26	Dec. 22

Goldman Sachs Group Inc (GS)

New Payout	% increase	Dividend Yield as of 1/2	Payment Date	Record date
$0.60	9.1%	1.24%	Dec. 30	Dec. 2

Halliburton Company (HAL)

New Payout	% increase	Dividend Yield as of 1/2	Payment Date	Record date
$0.18	20%	1.81%	Dec. 26	Dec. 5

Oil services titan Halliburton Company (HAL) was en route to a monster 2014, but even a reported merger between it and major rival Baker Hughes Incorporated (BHI) couldn’t keep HAL shares from selling off hard amid the quarter’s plunge in energy stocks.

Still, there are a lot of reasons to love Halliburton considering what it’s getting out of the deal, and a 20% higher dividend doesn’t hurt things, either.

Honeywell International (HON)

New Payout	% increase	Dividend Yield as of 1/2	Payment Date	Record date
$0.5175	15%	2.08%	Dec. 10	Nov. 20

Hormel Foods Corp (HRL)*

New Payout	% increase	Dividend Yield as of 1/2	Payment Date	Record date
$0.25	25%	1.94%	Feb. 17	Jan. 20
* Goes ex-dividend Jan. 15

Intel Corporation (INTC)

New Payout	% increase	Dividend Yield as of 1/2	Payment Date	Record date
$0.24	6.7%	2.49%	TBD	TBD

Intel Corporation (INTC) actually had been among the Dow Jones’ biggest-yielding dividend stocks, but not anymore. Intel’s switch to more mobile offerings finally started to take hold, and the company even reported record revenues in its most recent quarter, helping to spur INTC stock to a 40% run in 2014 … which of course, in turn, helped drive down its yield.

Not that anyone’s complaining.

INTC did try to play a little catchup, though, improving its next quarterly payout by 6.7%.

Kinder Morgan Inc. (KMI)

New Payout	% increase	Dividend Yield as of 1/2	Payment Date	Record date
$0.44	7%	4.13%	Nov. 17	Oct. 31

Kraft Foods Group (KRFT)

New Payout	% increase	Dividend Yield as of 1/2	Payment Date	Record date
$0.55	4.7%	3.52%	Jan. 16	Dec. 26

Lockheed Martin Corporation (LMT)

New Payout	% increase	Dividend Yield as of 1/2	Payment Date	Record date
$1.50	13%	3.13%	Dec. 26	Dec. 1

MasterCard Inc (MA)*

New Payout	% increase	Dividend Yield as of 1/2	Payment Date	Record date
$0.16	45.5%	0.75%	Feb. 9	Jan. 9
* Goes ex-dividend Jan. 7

One of the biggest dividend increases of the quarter came from MasterCard Inc (MA), which juiced its payout by 45.5% while also announcing a new share buyback program of up to $3.75 billion in Class A stock.

While MA shares actually underperformed the market in 2014, shares did jump to life in the final quarter as consumer spending helped spark its Q3 earnings.

Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK)

New Payout	% increase	Dividend Yield as of 1/2	Payment Date	Record date
$0.45	2.3%	3.15%	Jan. 8	Dec. 15

Moody’s Corporation (MCO)*

New Payout	% increase	Dividend Yield as of 1/2	Payment Date	Record date
$0.34	21.4%	1.42%	March 10	Feb. 20
* Goes ex-dividend Feb. 18

Nike Inc (NKE)

New Payout	% increase	Dividend Yield as of 1/2	Payment Date	Record date
$0.28	16.7%	1.18%	Jan. 5	Dec. 15

Pfizer Inc. (PFE)*

New Payout	% increase	Dividend Yield as of 1/2	Payment Date	Record date
$0.28	7.7%	3.58%	March 3	Feb. 6
* Goes ex-dividend Feb. 4

PulteGroup, Inc. (PHM)

New Payout	% increase	Dividend Yield as of 1/2	Payment Date	Record date
$0.08	60%	1.52%	Jan. 6	Dec. 15

PulteGroup, Inc. (PHM) shareholders didn’t have much to cheer about in 2014 as shares did improve, but at about half the rate of the broader market thanks to weak earnings in the first half of the year. Still, the company did manage to push out an enormous dividend increase of 60% that will be paid out in a couple days.

Seagate Technology plc (STX)

New Payout	% increase	Dividend Yield as of 1/2	Payment Date	Record date
$0.54	26%	3.28%	Nov. 25	Nov. 11

Spectra Energy Corp. (SE)

New Payout	% increase	Dividend Yield as of 1/2	Payment Date	Record date
$0.37	10.5%	4.03%	Dec. 19	Nov. 17

Starbucks Corporation (SBUX)

New Payout	% increase	Dividend Yield as of 1/2	Payment Date	Record date
$0.32	23%	1.57%	Nov. 28	Nov. 13

Stryker Corporation (SYK)

New Payout	% increase	Dividend Yield as of 1/2	Payment Date	Record date
$0.345	13.1%	1.48%	Jan. 30	Dec. 31

Stryker Corporation (SYK) was among the many healthcare companies that enjoyed a strong 2014. In Stryker’s case, the medical devices company charged ahead 25% over the course of the year, finishing 2014 with gusto thanks to a positive Q3 earnings report. While profits were down, that was mostly the result of several one-time items; revenues, on the other hand, marched ahead 11%.

Sysco Corporation (SYY)

New Payout	% increase	Dividend Yield as of 1/2	Payment Date	Record date
$0.30	3.4%	3.02%	Jan. 23	Jan. 2

TD Ameritrade Holding Corporation (AMTD)

New Payout	% increase	Dividend Yield as of 1/2	Payment Date	Record date
$0.15	25%	1.69%	Nov. 20	Nov. 6

V.F. Corporation (VFC)

New Payout	% increase	Dividend Yield as of 1/2	Payment Date	Record date
$0.32	22%	1.73%	Dec. 19	Dec. 9

Visa Inc (V)

New Payout	% increase	Dividend Yield as of 1/2	Payment Date	Record date
$0.48	20%	0.73%	Dec. 2	Nov. 14

Walt Disney Co (DIS)

New Payout	% increase	Dividend Yield as of 1/2	Payment Date	Record date
$1.15	33.7%	1.23%	Jan. 8	Dec. 15

The Mouse House continued to march forward steadily throughout 2014. Walt Disney Co (DIS) shares improved 20% in a nearly straight line, driven by strength from its Marvel franchises and Frozen, among other things. It also took the lid off its annual dividend, announcing a 33.7% increase to be paid out in early January.

Whole Foods Market, Inc. (WFM)*

New Payout	% increase	Dividend Yield as of 1/2	Payment Date	Record date
$0.13	8.3%	1.03%	Jan. 27	Jan. 16
* Goes ex-dividend Jan. 14

Wynn Resorts, Limited (WYNN)

New Payout	% increase	Dividend Yield as of 1/2	Payment Date	Record date
$1.50	20%	4.11%	Nov. 25	Nov. 12

Zoetis Inc (ZTS)*

New Payout	% increase	Dividend Yield as of 1/2	Payment Date	Record date
$0.0825	15.3%	0.76%	March 3	Jan. 22
* Goes ex-dividend Jan. 20

Kyle Woodley is the Managing Editor of InvestorPlace.com. As of this writing, he did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities. Follow him on Twitter at @KyleWoodley.

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