With so many factors triggering market uncertainty, like the timing of the Fed taper and a lackluster earnings season, investors continue to love their dividend stocks - especially with so many raising payouts in October.
It's an interesting time for dividend seekers. According to Fidelity Investments, corporate cash balances sit at some $1.8 trillion - the highest in history. Yet, payout ratios are still at 50-year lows. That suggests there's plenty of room for dividends to rise.
Additionally, low interest rates make dividends attractive for yield-hungry investors.
Plenty of companies showed their commitment to dividends by raising payouts last month. Following are some notable names that recently sweetened the dividend pot. Check to see if your fave dividend stock is on the list:
A Schulman Inc. (Nasdaq: SHLM) upped its dividend 2.8% to $0.20 a share from $0.19. Shares yield 2.42%.
Abbott Labs (NYSE: ABT) hiked its dividend 57% to $0.22 a share from $0.14. The 125-year-old company has paid continuous dividends since 1942 and has raised them for 42 consecutive years.
Accenture PLC (NYSE: ACN) increased its dividend 14.83%, from $0.81 per share to $0.93. The consulting and outsourcing company has returned 93% of its free cash flow to shareholders since its 2001 IPO.
American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP) upped its dividend to $0.50 per share from $0.49. The 2% increase gives shares a 4.24% yield.
American Financial Group (NYSE: AFG) boosted its dividend 12.8% to $0.22 per share, up from $0.19.
Bank of the Ozarks Inc. (Nasdaq: OZRK) raised its dividend 10.5% to $0.21 per share, up from $0.19.
Brown & Brown (NYSE: BRO) boosted its dividend 11.1% to $0.10 per share, up from $0.09.
Cantel Medical Corp. (NYSE: CMN) increased its dividend to $0.04 per share from $0.03, a 21.6% increase.
Cass Info Systems (Nasdaq: CASS) sweetened its dividend 11% to $0.20 per share, up from $0.18.
The Best Dividend Strategy for Building Wealth in the Low-Yield Era: Finding reliable investment income isn't easy. But when you do find the best dividend payers, you can generate wealth that gives you the retirement you've dreamed of. Go here to get started.
CF Holdings Inc. (NYSE: CF) lifted its quarterly dividend to $1.00 a share, up from $0.40, a whopping 150% increase.
Churchill Down Inc. (Nasdaq: CHDN) raised its annual dividend 20.8% to $0.87 per share, up from $0.72.
Cintas Corp. (Nasdaq: CTAS) raised its dividend to $0.77 per share, a 20.3% increase from its prior dividend of $0.64 per share.
Compressco Partners LP (Nasdaq: GSJK) upped its quarterly dividend to $0.43 per share, an 1.2% increase from its prior dividend of $0.42.
Crosstex Energy Inc. (Nasdaq: XTXI) sweetened its dividend 8.3% to $0.13 from $0.12. Shares yield 2.33%.
Crown Castle Intl Corp. (NYSE: CCI) announced it will initiate a $0.35 per share dividend in Q1 of 2014. "Based on our expectations for growth in our business, we believe that we can grow our dividend over the next five years by at least 15% annually," CFO Jay Brown said in a statement.
Dorchester Minerals (Nasdaq: DMLP) raised its dividend 15% to $0.45 per share from $0.39. Shares yield 6.6%.
Eaton Vance Corp. (NYSE: EV) enhanced its dividend 10% to $0.22 per share, up from $0.20.
Einstein Noah Restaurant Group Inc. (Nasdaq: BAGL) boosted its quarterly dividend 4% to $0.13 per share for a 2.9% yield.
El Paso Pipeline Partners (NYSE: EPB) upped its dividend 3.2% to $0.65 from $0.63. Shares yield 6.34%.
Enterprise Products Partners (NYSE: EPD) increased its dividend to $0.69 per share, up from $0.68. The 1% increase now gives shares a 4.44% yield.
EQT Midstream Partners LP (NYSE: EQM) hiked its dividend 7.5% to $0.43 per share, up from $0.40, for a 3.3% yield.
Estee Lauder Co Inc. (NYSE: EL) gussied up its dividend by 11.1% to $0.20 per share from $0.18. Shares yield 4.4.%.
Evercore Partners Inc. (NYSE: EVR) raised its dividend 13.6% to $0.25 per share, up from $0.22.
Genesis Energy LP (NYSE: GEL) lifted its dividend 2.5% to $0.52 per share. The stock yields 4.19%.
Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (NYSE: GS) raised its dividend 10% to $0.55 per share, up from $0.50.
HCI Group Inc. (NYSE: HCI) raised its quarterly dividend 22.2% to $0.27 per share, up from $0.22
Hickory Tech Corp. (Nasdaq: HTCO) hiked its dividend 3.4% to $0.15 per share. The stock carries a 4.4% yield.
Honeywell Intl Inc. (NYSE: HON) raised its dividend 9.8% to $0.45 per share, up from $0.41.
Three Companies with Superior Payouts and Long-Term Growth Potential: These three dividend payers belong in every yield-seeker's portfolio. One pays 90% of its income to investors, while another has hiked its payout every year since 1957.
Hubbell Inc. (NYSE: HUB.B) hoisted its dividend 11.1% to $0.50 per share, up from $0.45. It was the sixth dividend raise since June 2008. Payouts have been made every year since 1934.
Huntington Ingalls Indus. Inc. (NYSE: HII) doubled its dividend to $0.20 per share from $0.10 and hiked its share buyback 100% to $300 million.
Innophos Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq: IPHS) raised its quarterly dividend 14.3% to $0.40 for a 2.78% yield.
JMP Group Inc. (NYSE: JMP) raised its dividend 14.3% to $0.04 for a 2.4% yield.
John Hancock Hedged Equity Fund (NYSE: HEQ) increased its dividend 16.4% to $0.37 a share, up from $0.32.
Johnson Outdoors Inc. (Nasdaq: JOUT) upped its dividend to $0.07 per share from $0.5, a 36.4% increase.
Kinder Morgan Inc. (NYSE: KMI) increased its dividend 2.5% to $0.41 per share, up from $0.40. Shares yield 4.64%.
Kinder Morgan Energy Partners Inc. (NYSE: KMP) upped its dividend 2.3% to $1.35 a share, up from $1.35. Shares yield 6.55%.
Kraft Food Groups Inc. (Nasdaq: KRFT) sweetened its quarterly payout 5% to $0.52 per share, up from $0.50. Shares yield 4%, and more sweetening should be expected. "We are out to consistently prove Kraft is the best investment in our industry," CEO Tony Vernon said.
Legacy Reserves LP (Nasdaq: LGCY) raised its dividend 0.9% to $0.58 per share. The stock yields 8.30%.
Lincoln Electric Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq: LECO) lifted its dividend 15% to $0.23 per share, up from $0.20.
LRR Energy LP (NYSE: LRE) raised its quarterly dividend 0.5% to $0.48 per share. Shares yield 10.88%.
LTC Properties Inc. (NTSE: LTC) lifted its dividend 9.7% to $0.17 from $0.15. Shares yield 5%.
Macerich Corp. (NYSE: MAC) raised its quarterly dividend 6.9% to $0.62 per share, up from $0.58, for a 4.32% yield.
Magellan Midstream Partners L.P. (NYSE: MMP) hiked its quarterly dividend 4.7% to $0.55 per share, up from $0.53. Shares yield 3.76%.
MarkWest Energy Partners LP (NYSE: MWP) moved its dividend up 1.2% to $0.85 per share. Shares yield 4.63%.
While the Fed has ruined your traditional sources of yield, you can still tap into the best income sources with this list of three dividend winners...
Mesa Royalty Trust (NYSE: MTR) increased its dividend 9% to $0.15 per share, up from $0.13. The stock yields 8.14%.
Mesabi Trust (NYSE: MSB) increased its dividend to $0.51 per share, up from $0.46. The 10.9% increase gives shares a 7.4% yield.
Mercury General Corp (NYSE: MCY) raised its quarterly dividend 0.4% to $0.61 per share. Its yield is now 4.97%.
Middlesex Water Co. (Nasdad: MSEX) hiked its dividend 1.3% to $0.19 per share. The stock yields 3.51%.
Monarch Financial Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq: MNRK) lifted its dividend 16.7% to $0.07 per share.
Murphy Oil (NYSE: MUR) raised its dividend 15.9% to $0.31 per share, up from $0.26.
MV Oil Trust (NYSE: MVO) moved its dividend higher by 42% to $0.98 per share from $0.69. Shares yield 11.35%.
New Source Energy Partners LP (NYSE: NSLP) sweetened its dividend 4.5% to $0.57 per share, up from $0.55. Share yield is just under 10%.
NGL Energy Partners LP (NYSE: NGL) increased its quarterly dividend 3.5% to $0.51 per share, giving the stock a 6.47% yield.
Northwest Natural Gas Corp (NYSE: NWN) lifted its dividend 1.15% to $0.46 per share, up from $0.45. Shares yield 4.23%.
Omega Healthcare Investors Inc. (NYSE: OHI) boosted its dividend 2.1% to $0.48 a share, up from $0.47. Shares yield 5.80%.
ONEOK Partners (NYSE: OKS) raised its quarterly dividend 3.6% to 0.72 per share for a 5.33% yield.
Pacific Continental Corp. (Nasdaq: PCBK) increased its dividend 11% to $0.10 a share, up from $0.09.
Panhandle Oil and Gas Inc. (NYSE: PHX) raised its quarterly dividend 14.3% to $0.08 per share.
Penske Automotive Group Inc. (NYSE: PAG) hiked its dividend 6.3% to $0.17 for a 1.73% yield.
Pinnacle West Capital Corp (NYSE: PNW) lifted its quarterly dividend 4.1% to $0.56 per share for a 3.9% yield.
Plains All Amer Pipeline (NYSE: PAA) upped its dividend 2.1% to $0.60 per share. The stock yields 4.62%.
Phillips 66 (NYSE: PSX) hiked its dividend 25% to $0.39 cents per share up from $0.31. More hikes are expected. CEO Greg Garland said, "Returning capital to shareholders remains a priority."
Precision Drilling Corp. (NYSE: PDS) raised its dividend 20% to $0.06 per share from $0.05. Shares yield 2.18%.
Public Storage (NYSE: PSA) increased its quarterly dividend 12% to $1.40 a share, up from $1.25, for a 3.4% yield.
Questcor Pharma Inc. (Nasdaq: QCOR) lifted its dividend 20% to $0.30 per share, up from $0.20. Shares yield 2%.
RPM Intl Inc. (NYSE: RPM) increased its dividend 6.7% to $0.24 per share. Shares of this chemical company carry a 2.58% yield.
SL Green Realty Corp. (NYSE: SLG) hiked its dividend by 52% and set a new annual dividend of $2 per share starting with the Q4 dividend to be paid in January.
Sabine Royalty Trust (NYSE: SBR) raised its monthly cash distribution 26.8% to $0.39 per share, up from $0.31 per share. The stock yields 7.56%.
Shenandoah Telecom Co (Nasdaq: SHEN) upped its dividend 9.1% to $0.36 per share for a 1.3% yield.
Dividend Investors: Three Companies with Superior Payouts and Long-Term Growth Potential
Simon Property Group Inc. (NYSE: SGP) increased its dividend 4.3% to $1.20 a share, up from $1.15. The stock yields 3%.
Sinopec Shanghai Petro (NYSE: SHI) sweetened its dividend 2.9% to $0.81 per share. The stock yields 2%.
Sotherly Hotels Inc. (Nasdaq: SOHO) raised its dividend 12.5% to $0.04 per share for a 3.9% yield.
Spectra Energy Partners LP (NYSE: SEP) lifted its quarterly dividend 1.5% to $0.51 per share, up from $0.50. The stock boasts a 4.56% yield.
S&T Bancorp Inc. (Nasdaq: STBA) increased its dividend 6.7% to $0.16. Shares yield 2.5%.
Standex Intl Corp. (NYSE: SXI) raised its dividend 25% to $0.10, up from $0.08.
Starbucks Corp. (Nasdaq: SBUX) perked up its dividend 23.8% to $0.26 per share from $0.21. In 2012, the coffee giant boosted its dividend twice.
Sunoco Logistics Partners LP (NYSE: SXL) raised its dividend 5% to $0.63 per share, giving the stock a 3.7% yield.
Tailgrass Energy Ptrs LP (NYSE: TEP) upped its dividend 109% to $0.29 per share, from $0.14. Its new yield is just under 5%.
Territorial Bancorp (Nasdaq: TBNK) increased its quarterly dividend 7.7% to $0.14 per share for a 2.6% yield.
Thor Indus. Inc. (NYSE: THO) lifted its dividend 27.8% to $0.23 per share, up from $0.18.
Union Bankshares Inc. (Nasdaq: UNB) upped its dividend 4% to $0.26 a share, from $0.25, bringing its yield to 4.84%.
United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX) raised its dividend 10% to $0.58 per share. The company has paid a dividend since 1936.
Universal Forest Products Inc. (Nasdaq: UFPI) increased its dividend 5% to $0.21 a share, up from $0.20 a share.
Visa Inc. (NYSE: V) lifted its dividend 21.2% to $0.40 per share, up from $0.33.
VF Corp. (NYSE: VFC) approved a four-for-one split and raised its dividend 20.7% to $1.05 per share, up from $0.87.
VOC Energy Trust (NYSE: VOC) hiked its dividend 29.3% to $0.53 a share, up from $0.41. Its new yield is 12.84%.
Watsco Inc. (NYSE: WSO) boosted its quarterly dividend 60% to $0.40 per share from $0.25.
Western Gas Partners LP (NYSE: WES) raised its quarterly dividend to $0.58 per share, up from $0.56, a 3.6% increase for a yield of 3.83%.
Western Refining Inc. (NYSE: WNR) upped its dividend 22% to $0.22 per share from $0.18.
Westwood Hldgs Group Inc. (NYSE: WHG) increased its dividend 10% to $0.44 per share from $0.40. Shares yield 3.34%.
Zep Inc. (NYSE: ZEP), a leader in green initiatives in chemical manufacturing, increased its dividend 2.4% to $0.86 a share, up from $0.84.
Next: Three "Dead Money" Investments, Plus One "Living Large"
[epom]