Dividend-Paying Stocks: 25 Notable Increases and Special Payouts

In addition to payout hikes, another way dividend-paying stocks reward investors is with special dividends - and they're on the rise.

Special dividends are one-time payouts companies use to share extra cash on their books with shareholders before they close out their fiscal year.

Twenty-seven companies announced special dividends over the last three weeks. Payouts ranged from a few cents to several dollars.

A hefty $3-per-share dividend came last week from RLI Corp. (NYSE: RLI), a property and casualty insurance company based in Peoria, Ill. RLI has returned more than $720 million to shareholders in the form of dividends and share repurchases since the beginning of 2010.

In addition to RLI, six other companies declared special dividends last week. Twenty-three companies hiked payouts.

Here are 24 more of the notable dividend stocks that boosted payouts or declared special dividends during the week ending Nov. 14.

Dividend-Paying Stocks That Just Raised Payouts

Aramark (NYSE: ARMK) upped its quarterly dividend 15% to $0.086 a share for a 1.2% yield.

Automatic Data Processing (Nasdaq: ADP) hiked its quarterly payout 2.1% to $0.49 a share for a 2.31% yield.

Bassett Furniture Industries Inc. (Nasdaq: BSET) declared a special $0.20-per-share dividend payable on Dec. 19 to shareholders of record Dec. 5.

Buckeye Partners LP (NYSE: BPL) boosted its quarterly dividend 1.1% to $1.125 a share for a 5.67% yield.

Caesar Stone Sdot-Yam Ltd. (Nasdaq: CSTE) announced a special $0.57 per share dividend payable on Dec. 23 to shareholders of record Nov. 26.

Cantel Medical Corp. (NYSE: CMN) increased its quarterly dividend 11.5% to $0.05 a share for a 0.24% yield.

CBL & Associates Properties Inc. (NYSE: CBL) hiked its quarterly dividend 8.2% to $0.265 a share for a 5.67% yield.

Cogent Communications Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq: CCOI) raised its quarterly dividend $0.03 to $0.33 a share for a 3.47% yield.

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