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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Companhia Energetica Minas Gerais (NYSE ADR: CIG) announced a special $0.35-per-share dividend payable on Dec. 26 to shareholders of record Nov. 17.
Dow Chemical Co. (NYSE: DOW) boosted its quarterly payout 13.5%, or a nickel, to $0.42 a share for a 3.27% yield. The specialty chemical maker also said it's more than doubling the amount of shares it can buy back and raised its target for selling more non-core assets. DOW has been increasing its dividend annually for the last three years.
GAMCO Investors Inc. (NYSE: GBL) goosed its quarterly dividend a penny to $0.07 a share for a 0.33% yield. The publicly owned investment management firm also declared a special $0.25-per-share dividend payable on Dec. 30 to shareholders of record Dec. 16.
Griffon Corp. (NYSE: GFF) increased its quarterly dividend a penny to $0.04 a share for a 1.26% yield.
J2 Global Inc. (Nasdaq: JCOM) juiced its quarterly payout 2.7% to $0.285 a share for a 2.03% yield.
HollyFrontier Corp. (NYSE: HFC) announced a special $0.50-per-share dividend payable on Dec. 17 to shareholders of record Nov. 28.
Matthews International Corp. (Nasdaq: MATW) moved its quarterly dividend up $0.02 to $0.13 a share for a yield approaching 1%.
MDU Resources Group Inc. (NYSE: MDU) hiked its quarterly payout 2.8% to $0.18 a share for a 2.91% yield.
National Bankshares Inc. (Nasdaq: NKSH) raised its semi-annual dividend $0.03 to $0.55 a share for a 3.9% yield.
PCTEL Inc. (Nasdaq: PCTI) boosted its quarterly payout a penny to $0.05 a share for a 2.42% yield.
PPLUS TR GSC 2 Floating Rate Fund (NYSE: PYT) increased its quarterly dividend 2.2% to $0.195 a share for a 4.03% yield.
Prudential Financial Inc. (NYSE: PRU) fattened its quarterly payout a nickel to $0.58 a share for a 2.76% yield.
Scorpio Tankers Inc. (NYSE: STNG) sweetened its quarterly dividend $0.02, or 20%, to $0.12 a share for a 5.73% yield.
Sprague Resources LP (NYSE: SRLP) raised its quarterly payout 3.5% to $0.4425 a share for an 8.03% yield.
Tortoise Energy Infrastructure Corp. (NYSE: TYG) boosted its quarterly dividend 0.8% to $0.615 a share for a 5.2% yield.
Universal Insurance Holdings Inc. (NYSE: UVE) announced a special $0.15-per-share dividend payable on Dec. 15 to shareholders of record Dec. 5.
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