Dividend Stocks: These 25 Companies Just Increased Their Payouts

Dividend stocks update: For The Walt Disney Co. (NYSE: DIS) shareholders, it was the happiest place on earth last week when the 90-year-old company announced its 58th consecutive dividend payment increase.

Disney is the world's largest media company by revenue and the Dow's fifth biggest gainer year to date. It boosted its annual payout 15% to $0.86 a share, up from $0.75.

While its yield is a modest 1.2%, the dividend hike keeps it on par with the Standard & Poor's 500's consumer discretionary sector yield of 1.4% (the lowest in the S&P).

Companies that continually raise their dividend payouts can be the best to buy for income. Here are 24 other notable dividend increases for the week ending Dec. 6.

Dividend-Paying Stocks That Just Hiked Their Payouts

Altisource Residential Corp (NYSE: ALTI) Corp. raised its quarterly dividend 150% to $0.25 a share, up from $0.10. Shares yield 3.26%.

American Tower Corp. (NYSE: AMT) upped its quarterly payout 3.6% to $0.29 a share from $0.28. The stock yields 1.49%.

Bank of Montreal (NYSE: BMO) boosted its quarterly dividend 2.7% to $0.71 a share for a 4.32% yield.

Capella Education Co. (Nasdaq: CPLA) became a dividend payer last week when it initiated a quarterly payout of $0.35 per share, good for an annual yield of 2.1%. The first payout will be Jan. 10.

Core Site Realty Corp. (NYSE: COR) increased its quarterly dividend 29.6% to $0.35, up from $0.27. Shares yield 3.65%.

Eastman Chemical Corp. (NYSE: EMN) hiked its quarterly payout 17% to $0.35 a share up from $0.30. The stock yields 1.57%.

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Enbridge Inc. (NYSE: ENB) raised its quarterly payout 11% to $0.32 per share for a new yield of 3.17%.

Erie Indemnity Co. (Nasdaq: ERIE) upped its quarterly dividend 7.2% to $0.63 per share. The stock yields 3.61%.

Helmerich & Payne Inc. (NYSE: HP) hiked its quarterly dividend 25% to $0.62 a share, up from $0.50. Shares yield 3.13%.

Hillenbrand Inc. (NYSE: HI) raised its quarterly payout 1.3% to $0.19 a share for a fresh yield of 2.77%.

John Hancock Investors Trust (NYSE: JHI) juiced its quarterly payout 17% to $0.44 per share, up from $0.38. Shares boast yield just shy of 9%.

Macquarie Global Infrastructure Total Return Fund (NYSE: MGU) moved its quarterly dividend up to $0.35 a share from $0.32, for a nearly 6% yield.

MFS Intermediate High Income Fund (NYSE: CIF) increased its monthly dividend 82.4% to $0.31 per share. The stock yields 13.24%.

Mid-America Apartment Communities Inc. (NYSE: MAA) raised its quarterly dividend 5% to $0.73 per share, up from $0.69. Shares yield 4.72%.

Nuveen Tax-Advantaged Dividend Growth Fund (NYSE: JTD) increased its quarterly dividend by 3.8% to $0.28 a share. Shares yield 7.58%.

OGE Energy Corp. (NYSE: OGE) upped its quarterly dividend to $0.22 per share from $0.14. The 7.8% increase gives shares a 2.63% yield.

ProAssurance Corp. (NYSE: PRA) increased its quarterly payout to $0.30 a share, up from $0.25. The 20% increase gives shares a 2.44% yield.

Royce Value Trust Inc. (NYSE: RVT) boosted its quarterly payout a penny to $0.21 per share for a 5.48% yield.

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Siemens AG (NYSE: SI) sweetened its annual dividend 33% to $4.06 a share. The stock yields 3.13%.

Stryker Corp. (NYSE: SYK) raised its quarterly payout 15% to $0.30 per share, up from $0.26. Shares yield 1.64%.

Toro Corp. (NYSE: TTC) raised its quarterly payout 43% to $0.20 a share, up from $0.14. The stock yields 1.34%.

Toronto Dominion Bank (NYSE: TD) lifted its quarterly dividend 1.2% to $0.80 a share for a 3.6% yield. The Canadian-based bank also declared a two-for-one stock split.

York Water Co. (Nasdaq: YORW) boosted its quarterly payout 3.5% to $0.14 a share for a 2.72% yield.

Zweig Total Return Fund Inc. (NYSE: ZTR) upped its monthly payout 1% to $0.089 per share. Its yield is 7.74%.

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