Dividend stocks are off to a strong start in 2014. And with S&P 500 companies sitting on huge cash piles - $1.25 trillion for non-financial firms - companies can afford to sweeten payouts.
This follows 2013's generous year in which cumulative dividend hikes amounted to a hefty $56.7 billion.
This is great news for income-starved investors who continue to gravitate toward dividend-paying stocks, as money market funds yield a paltry 0.01%.
"Dividends continue to be one of the few income-generating alternatives to investors," said Howard Silverblatt, S&P Dow Jones Indices' senior analyst. Silverblatt expects 2014 to be another "very positive" year for dividend boosts.
Following are 25 recent and notable quarterly increases.
ADT Corp. (NYSE: ADT) upped its dividend 60% to $0.20 a share from $0.12. Shares yield 2%.
Alexander's Inc. (NYSE: ALX) raised its payout to $3.25 a share, up from $2.75. The 18% increase gives shares a 3.86% yield.
BlackRock Inc. (NYSE: BLK) boosted its dividend 15% to $1.93 a share from $1.68. Shares yield 2.44%.
Boston Private Financial Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq: BPFH) increased its dividend 14% to $0.08 a share for a 2.42% yield.
Consolidated Edison Inc. (NYSE: ED) raised its dividend two cents to $0.63 a share for a yield of 4.67%.
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Core Labs N.V. (NYSE: CLB) hiked its dividend 56% to $0.50 a share from $0.36. Shares yield 1.05%.
Delphi Automotive PLC (NYSE: DLPH) increased its dividend 47% to $0.25 a share, up from $0.17. The global supplier of components for autos declared its first dividend less than a year ago in February 2013, 8 years after exiting bankruptcy.
Enterprise Products Partners LP (NYSE: EPD) raised its payout a penny to $0.70 a share for a 4.38% yield.
Fidelity Southern Corp. (Nasdaq: LION) lifted its dividend 35% to $0.04 for a 1.02% yield.
Finish Line Inc. (Nasdaq: FINL) fattened its dividend 14.3% to $0.08 a share. The stock yields 1.2%
General Motors Co. (MYSE: GM) restored its dividend after halting payouts in June 2008 as it teetered on bankruptcy and became the recipient of a controversial taxpayer bailout. The fresh $0.30 a share dividend, good for a 3.11% yield, came after the automaker posted a 4% increase in worldwide sales and logged its 15th straight profitable quarter.
Hi-Crush Partners LP (NYSE: HCLP) boosted its dividend 45% to $0.51 a share from $0.49 for a 5.69% yield.
Kaiser Aluminum Corp. (Nadaq: KALU) raised its payout a nickel to $0.35, for a 2% yield. The auto supplier resumed dividends in June 2007 at $0.18 a share after emerging in July 2006 from four years of Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
Kinder Morgan Energy LP (NYSE: KMP) upped its dividend one cent to $1.36 for a yield of 6.7%.
Linear Tech Corp. (Nasdaq: LLTC) hiked its dividend to $0.27 from $0.26 for a 2.35% yield.
Omega Healthcare Investors Inc. (NYSE: OHI) upped its payout a penny to $0.27. Shares yield 6.14%.
Oneok Inc. (NYSE: OKE) increased its dividend 5%, or two cents, to $0.43 a share. The stock yields 2.4%.
Shaw Communications Inc. (NYSE: SJR) sweetened its dividend 7.8% to $0.08 a share. The stock yields 4.33%
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Tallgrass Energy Partners LP (NYSE: TEP) raised its dividend 6% to $0.31 a share for a yield of 4.85%.
Targa Resources Corp. (NYSE: TRGP) upped its dividend 6.6% to $0.60 a share. The new yield is 2.78%.
Teekay LNG Partners (NYSE: TGP) boosted its dividend by 2.5% to $0.69 a share for a 6.62% yield.
Total SA ADR (NYSE: TOT) increased its dividend to $0.805 a share for a fresh 5.34% yield.
VOC Energy Trust (NYSE: VOC) hiked its dividend 7.5% to $0.57 a share. The stock yields 15%.
Wisconsin Energy Corp. (NYSE: WEC) lifted its dividend 2% to $0.39 a share for a 3.8% yield.
World Point Terminals LP (NYSE: WPT) boosted its dividend 91% to $0.30 a share, up from $0.15. The new yield is 6%.
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