Stocks that pay dividends continue to dish out payout hikes and special enrichments to reward investors. In fact, S&P Dow Jones Indices forecasts dividend increases to be in the double digits this year.
If that estimate is correct, it will mark the third year in a row dividends have risen by 10% or more. And the growth looks to continue. Companies want to deliver strong profits, trim costs, and reward shareholders with dividend hikes.
Last week, 33 companies sweetened the dividend pot, including Nike Inc. (NYSE: NKE) and Tyson Foods Inc. (NYSE: TSN). Nine companies announced special dividends. Following are 25 of the most notable dividend enrichments for the week ending Nov. 22.
25 New Enrichments from Stocks That Pay Dividends
Adams Express Co. (NYSE: ADX) raised its quarterly dividend 60% to $0.08 a share for a 1.46% yield. The Baltimore-based closed-end fund also announced a year-end distribution of $1.03, marking the 50th consecutive year the fund has paid out capital gains and the 79th consecutive year it has paid dividends.
Brown Forman Corp. (NYSE: BF.B) boosted its quarterly dividend 8.6% to $0.315 a share for a 5.35% yield. The dividend boost marks the 31st consecutive year of increases at the spirits company and 69th consecutive year of paying quarterly dividends. Brown-Forman is a member of the prestigious Standard & Poor's 500 Dividend Aristocrats Index, an elite list of only 54 companies that have increased their cash dividend every year for more than 25 years. Money Morning Defense & Tech Specialist Michael A. Robinson discusses one of his favorite Dividend Aristocrats here.
Citizens Holdings Co. (Nasdaq: CIZN) increased its quarterly dividend a penny to $0.23 a share for a 4.81% yield.
Envirostar Inc. (NYSEMKT: EVI) announced a special $0.20 per share dividend payable Dec. 19 to shareholders of record Dec. 5.
Everest Re Group Ltd. (NYSE: RE) boosted its quarterly payout $0.20, or 26.7%, to $0.95 a share for a 2.19% yield
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Farmland Partners Inc. (NYSEMKT: FPI) fattened its quarterly dividend 10.5% to $0.116 a share for a 4.26% yield.
GasLog Ltd. (NYSE: GLOG) goosed its quarterly payout $0.02 to $0.14 a share for a 2.34% yield.
Group 1 Automotive Inc. (NYSE: GPI) upped its quarterly dividend 11.8% to $0.19 a share for a 0.89% yield.
Heritage Financial Corp. (Nasdaq: HFWA) announced a special $0.16 per share dividend payable Dec. 12 to shareholders of record Dec. 2.
Intel Corp. (Nasdaq: INTC) increased its dividend $0.06 to $0.96 per share on an annual basis. It's the chipmaker's first dividend hike in two years.
Iron Mountain Inc. (NYSE: IRM) declared a special $0.26 per share dividend payable Dec. 15 to shareholders of record Nov. 28.
Johnson Controls Inc. (NYSE: JCI) juiced its quarterly payout $0.04 to $0.26 a share for a 2.07% yield. The diversified tech company has increased its dividend in 34 of the past 36 years and has paid a consecutive dividend since 1887.
KLA-Tencor Corp. (Nasdaq: KLAC) announced a whopping $16.50 per share special dividend payable Dec. 9 to shareholders of record Dec. 1.
Lancaster Colony Corp. (Nasdaq: LANC) raised its quarterly payout $0.02 to $0.46 a share for a 2% yield.
La-Z-Boy Inc. (NYSE: LZB) lifted its quarterly dividend 33.3% to $0.08 per share for a 1.26% yield.
Nike Inc. (NYSE: NKE) hiked its quarterly dividend 16.7% to $0.28 per share for a 1% yield. The boost marks the 13th consecutive year NKE has increased its dividend.
OFG Bancorp (NYSE: OFG) raised its quarterly dividend 25% to $0.10 a share for a 2.67% yield.
PC Connection Inc. (Nasdaq: PCCC) declared a special $0.40 per share dividend payable Dec. 15 to shareholders of record Dec. 1.
Span-America Medical Systems Inc. (Nasdaq: SPAN) announced a special $1 per share dividend payable Jan. 7 to shareholders of record of Dec. 17.
Synalloy Corp. (Nasdaq: SYNL) boosted its quarterly payout $0.04 to $0.30 a share for a near-2% yield.
Sysco Corp. (NYSE: SYY) sweetened its quarterly dividend 3.4% to $0.30 a share for a 3% yield. Sysco has paid a cash dividend every quarter since its founding as a public company in 1970 and has increased its dividend 46 times in that period.
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. (NYSE: HOT) declared a special $0.65 per share dividend payable Dec. 29 to shareholders of record Dec. 8.
Tyson Foods Inc. (NYSE: TSN) fattened its quarterly payout 33.3% to $0.10 a share for a yield just shy of 1%.
United Bancorp Inc. (Nasdaq: UBCP) upped its quarterly payout a penny to $0.09 a share for a 4.42% yield.
Williams Companies Inc. (NYSE: WMB) raised its quarterly dividend a penny to $0.57 a share for a 4.11% yield. The energy company also affirmed its dividend growth guidance of approximately 15% annually - from the higher Q3 2014 base - through 2017, with planned dividends of approximately $2.46 in 2015, $2.82 in 2016, and $3.25 in 2017.
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