You Can Still Cash In on Dividend Hikes During a Trade War

The trade spat between the United States and China is about to hit the next level. The Federal Reserve is on the verge of raising interest rates and potentially slowing down the economy.

And China's stock market is in serious trouble thanks to a wave of systemic threats.

Yes, it's a dangerous time to be an investor.

That's why Money Morning readers need to get away from high-risk stocks and turn to investments that will provide a steady stream of income.

Let's take a look at three companies that just hiked their dividends…

• Last Tuesday, BlackRock Inc. (NYSE: BLK), the world's largest publicly traded asset manager, announced an 8.6% dividend hike. The company, with $6.3 trillion in assets, increased its dividend from $2.88 to $3.13 per share.

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• The consumer goods giant J.M. Smucker Co. (NYSE: SJM), which owns Folgers, JIF peanut butter, and Smucker's, increased its quarterly payout from $0.78 to $0.85 per share. SJM is also in our "Buy Zone."
• Finally, wealth management giant Northern Trust Corp. (Nasdaq: NTRS) hiked its dividend by a whopping 30.95% last week. The company raised its payout from $0.42 to $0.55 per share.

Now let's take a look at some of the other top news stories about dividend stocks this week…

Top Dividend Stock News for July 23

• It's time to turn trash into treasure. We're talking about the largest provider of waste management and residential recycling services in North America, with more than 21 million customers. If you're reading this, there's a decent chance you're a customer too, even if you don't know it. The stock for this company is trading near an all-time high for a reason, and it's paying a 2.26% dividend.
• Earnings season is now deep underway. And if you're serious about getting a combination of stock appreciation and income, you need to tap into the can't-miss gains from the U.S. banking system. There's really only one bank that you need to own if you're trying to accomplish both goals. It's time to meet Jamie Dimon's bank…
• KeyCorp (NYSE: KEY), the parent company of KeyBank, announced that it will hike its dividend by a whopping 42%. The announcement – a hike from $0.12 to $0.17 – is further proof that U.S. banks are much healthier. KEY also just hit our "Buy Zone."

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