Recent Dividend Increases

Below you will find a list of publicly-traded companies, exchange traded funds (ETFs) and real-estate investment trusts (REITs) that have recently increased the amount of their dividend payments. Learn more.

Announcement Date	Company	Amount	Previous Amount	Increase Amount	Yield	Ex-Date	Payable Date	Share
9/12/2019	Guaranty Bancshares (GNTY)	$0.18	$0.17	5.88%	2.26%	9/25/2019	10/9/2019
9/11/2019	null (AEF)	$0.0450	$0.04	12.50%	2.5%	9/20/2019	9/30/2019
9/11/2019	Philip Morris International (PM)	$1.17	$1.14	2.63%	6.25%	9/24/2019	10/11/2019
9/10/2019	Store Capital (STOR)	$0.35	$0.33	6.06%	3.86%	9/27/2019	10/15/2019
9/10/2019	DUNELM GRP PLC/ADR (DNLMY)	$0.3480	$0.0860	304.65%		9/19/2019	10/28/2019
9/6/2019	Sabine Royalty Trust (SBR)	$0.2413	$0.1447	66.68%	7.7%	9/13/2019	9/30/2019
9/6/2019	CHORUS LTD/S (CHRYY)	$0.4340	$0.3070	41.37%		9/20/2019	10/18/2019
9/6/2019	Spark New Zealand (SPKKY)	$0.3670	$0.2880	27.43%		9/18/2019	10/15/2019
9/5/2019	Brady (BRC)	$0.2180	$0.2125	2.59%	1.71%	10/9/2019	10/31/2019
9/5/2019	Verizon Communications (VZ)	$0.6150	$0.6025	2.07%	4.22%	10/9/2019	11/1/2019
9/5/2019	Rent-A-Center (RCII)	$0.25	$0.08	212.50%	3.89%	9/20/2019	10/9/2019
9/4/2019	Dmc Global (BOOM)	$0.1250	$0.02	525.00%	1.11%	9/27/2019	10/15/2019
9/3/2019	AK PWR & TEL CO/SH SH (APTL)	$0.48	$0.42	14.29%	3.1%	9/27/2019	10/14/2019
9/3/2019	Templeton Global Income Fund (GIM)	$0.0280	$0.0250	12.00%	6.9%	9/13/2019	9/30/2019
9/3/2019	Advent Claymore Convertible Sec & Inc Fd (AVK)	$0.1170	$0.0940	24.47%	9.7%	9/12/2019	9/30/2019
9/3/2019	John Hancock Financial Opprts Fund (BTO)	$0.55	$0.37	48.65%	7.1%	9/12/2019	9/30/2019
9/3/2019	Nuveen Credit Strategies Income Fund (JQC)	$0.1040	$0.0520	100.00%	16.5%	9/12/2019	10/1/2019
8/30/2019	Vanguard Total World Bond ETF (BNDW)	$0.1380	$0.1240	11.29%	2.04%	9/3/2019	9/6/2019
8/30/2019	PETROFAC LTD/ADR (POFCY)	$0.0560	$0.0520	7.69%		9/19/2019	11/4/2019
8/30/2019	Western Asset Total Return ETF (WBND)	$0.1270	$0.0780	62.82%	5.55%	9/3/2019	9/9/2019
8/30/2019	Western Asset Short Duration Income ETF (WINC)	$0.09	$0.0880	2.27%	4.19%	9/3/2019	9/9/2019
8/30/2019	Vanguard Long-Term Corporate Bond ETF (VCLT)	$0.3390	$0.3260	3.99%	3.8%	9/3/2019	9/6/2019
8/30/2019	Vanguard Mortgage-Backed Securities ETF (VMBS)	$0.1190	$0.07	70.00%	2.9%	9/3/2019	9/6/2019
8/29/2019	Invacare (IVC)	$0.1250	$0.0125	900.00%	9.52%	10/10/2019	10/25/2019
8/29/2019	Lam Research (LRCX)	$1.15	$1.10	4.55%	2.22%	9/30/2019	10/16/2019
8/29/2019	NXP Semiconductors (NXPI)	$0.3750	$0.25	50.00%	1.47%	9/13/2019	10/4/2019
8/28/2019	Guess? (GES)	$0.1125	$0.1120	0.45%	2.99%	9/10/2019	9/27/2019
8/27/2019	Kimball International (KBAL)	$0.09	$0.08	12.50%	2.07%	9/24/2019	10/15/2019
8/27/2019	REMY COINTREAU/ADR (REMYY)	$0.2070	$0.1410	46.81%	1.43%	9/10/2019	10/1/2019
8/27/2019	Bank of Montreal (BMO)	$0.7810	$0.7690	1.56%	4.67%	10/31/2019	11/26/2019
8/27/2019	Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS)	$0.6820	$0.65	4.92%	5.3%	9/30/2019	10/29/2019
8/27/2019	Saratoga Investment (SAR)	$0.56	$0.55	1.82%	9.11%	9/12/2019	9/26/2019
8/27/2019	FFW (FFWC)	$0.23	$0.21	9.52%	2.14%	9/13/2019	9/30/2019
8/26/2019	WisdomTree Interest Rate Hedged U.S. Aggregate Bond Fund (AGZD)	$0.12	$0.1150	4.35%	3.02%	8/27/2019	8/30/2019
8/26/2019	Canon (CAJ)	$0.5990	$0.5750	4.17%		6/26/2019	9/3/2019
8/26/2019	WisdomTree U.S. SmallCap Quality Dividend Growth Fund (DGRS)	$0.07	$0.04	75.00%	2.59%	8/27/2019	8/30/2019
8/26/2019	WisdomTree U.S. Quality Dividend Growth Fund (DGRW)	$0.14	$0.06	133.33%	3.92%	8/27/2019	8/30/2019
8/23/2019	Northrim BanCorp (NRIM)	$0.33	$0.30	10.00%	3.77%	9/4/2019	9/13/2019
8/23/2019	Wal-mart de Mexico S A B de C V (WMMVY)	$0.2620	$0.1550	69.03%	3.73%	8/30/2019	9/10/2019
8/22/2019	BancFirst (BANF)	$0.32	$0.30	6.67%	2.44%	9/27/2019	10/15/2019
8/22/2019	Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CM)	$1.0910	$1.04	4.90%	5.8%	9/26/2019	10/28/2019
8/22/2019	Dillard's (DDS)	$0.15	$0.10	50.00%	1.09%	9/27/2019	11/4/2019
8/22/2019	Edison International (EIX)	$0.6130	$0.6125	0.08%	3.4%	9/27/2019	10/31/2019
8/22/2019	Intuit (INTU)	$0.53	$0.47	12.77%	0.76%	10/9/2019	10/18/2019
8/22/2019	Altria Group (MO)	$0.84	$0.80	5.00%	7.24%	9/13/2019	10/10/2019
8/22/2019	SouthCrest Financial Group (SCSG)	$0.05	$0.04	25.00%	2.08%	10/31/2019	11/15/2019
8/22/2019	Carter's (CRI)	$0.50	$0.22	127.27%		8/30/2019	9/20/2019
8/21/2019	WORLEYPARSONS L/ADR (WYGPY)	$0.0820	$0.0720	13.89%		8/30/2019	10/9/2019
8/21/2019	Royal Bank of Canada (RY)	$0.7960	$0.7596	4.79%	4.24%	10/23/2019	11/22/2019
8/21/2019	Fanhua (FANH)	$0.2950	$0.25	18.00%	4.23%	9/3/2019	9/19/2019
8/21/2019	Community Bank System (CBU)	$0.41	$0.38	7.89%	2.66%	9/13/2019	10/10/2019
8/21/2019	NEWTEK Business Services (NEWT)	$0.58	$0.46	26.09%	10.36%	9/19/2019	9/30/2019
8/21/2019	United Bancorp (UBCP)	$0.1380	$0.13	6.15%		9/9/2019	9/20/2019
8/21/2019	Grupo Aeroportr dl Pcfco SAB de CV (PAC)	$1.9210	$0.9060	112.03%		8/30/2019	9/9/2019
8/20/2019	Horizons Nasdaq-100 Covered Call ETF (QYLD)	$0.2270	$0.1710	32.75%	12.04%	8/21/2019	8/29/2019
8/20/2019	BHP Group (BBL)	$1.56	$0.28	457.14%		9/5/2019	9/25/2019
8/20/2019	First Trust Senior Loan ETF (FTSL)	$0.1840	$0.1830	0.55%	4.69%	8/21/2019	8/30/2019
8/20/2019	First Trust Low Duration Strategic Focus ETF (LDSF)	$0.05	$0.0490	2.04%	2.93%	8/21/2019	8/30/2019
8/20/2019	First Trust Multi-Asset Diversified Income Index Fund (MDIV)	$0.12	$0.0590	103.39%	7.94%	8/21/2019	8/30/2019
8/19/2019	Atrion (ATRI)	$1.55	$1.35	14.81%	0.79%	9/13/2019	9/30/2019
8/19/2019	Seacoast Commerce Banc (SCBH)	$0.11	$0.10	10.00%	2.32%	9/3/2019	9/18/2019
8/19/2019	Qiwi (QIWI)	$0.28	$0.21	33.33%		8/29/2019	9/3/2019
8/19/2019	Avnet (AVT)	$0.21	$0.20	5.00%	2.%	9/10/2019	9/25/2019
8/16/2019	Delta Galil Industries (DELTY)	$0.0650	$0.0390	66.67%	0.9%	8/23/2019	9/13/2019
8/16/2019	Invesco DWA Tactical Multi-Asset Income ETF (DWIN)	$0.1190	$0.1130	5.31%	5.57%	8/19/2019	8/30/2019
8/16/2019	MEXICHEM SAB DE/ADR (MXCHY)	$0.0430	$0.0320	34.38%	4.4%	8/26/2019	9/12/2019
8/16/2019	Invesco High Yield Equity Dividend Achievers ETF (PEY)	$0.0620	$0.06	3.33%	4.2%	8/19/2019	8/30/2019
8/16/2019	Nordson (NDSN)	$0.38	$0.35	8.57%	1.11%	8/26/2019	9/10/2019
8/15/2019	Golden Ocean Group (GOGL)	$0.10	$0.0250	300.00%	7.25%	8/29/2019	9/12/2019
8/15/2019	Vermilion Energy (VET)	$0.1740	$0.1680	3.57%	14.3%	8/29/2019	9/16/2019
8/15/2019	RCI Hospitality (RICK)	$0.13	$0.03	333.33%	3.23%	9/9/2019	9/25/2019
8/15/2019	Group 1 Automotive (GPI)	$0.28	$0.26	7.69%	1.48%	8/30/2019	9/17/2019
8/15/2019	Virtus Investment Partners (VRTS)	$0.67	$0.55	21.82%	2.79%	10/30/2019	11/15/2019
8/15/2019	Farmers National Banc (FMNB)	$0.10	$0.09	11.11%	2.84%	9/12/2019	9/30/2019
8/15/2019	Medical Properties Trust (MPW)	$0.26	$0.25	4.00%	5.73%	9/11/2019	10/10/2019
8/15/2019	Tapestry (TPR)	$0.3380	$0.3375	0.15%	6.77%	9/5/2019	9/30/2019
8/14/2019	Martin Marietta Materials (MLM)	$0.55	$0.48	14.58%	0.88%	8/30/2019	9/30/2019
8/14/2019	GAP (GPS)	$0.2430	$0.2425	0.21%	6.33%	10/8/2019	10/30/2019
8/14/2019	Highland/iBoxx Senior Loan ETF (SNLN)	$0.0830	$0.0730	13.70%	5.73%	8/15/2019	8/30/2019
8/14/2019	CAE (CAE)	$0.0830	$0.0742	11.87%	1.29%	9/12/2019	9/30/2019
8/14/2019	Prudential Public (PUK)	$0.3970	$0.3350	18.51%		8/22/2019	10/3/2019
8/13/2019	Magic Software Enterprises (MGIC)	$0.1560	$0.0850	83.53%		8/26/2019	9/12/2019
8/13/2019	TriCo Bancshares (TCBK)	$0.22	$0.19	15.79%	2.44%	9/12/2019	9/27/2019
8/13/2019	SunTrust Banks (STI)	$0.56	$0.50	12.00%	3.69%	8/29/2019	9/16/2019
8/13/2019	Monro (MNRO)	$0.22	$0.11	100.00%		8/23/2019	9/9/2019
8/12/2019	MTN GRP LTD/S (MTNOY)	$0.0890	$0.0830	7.23%		8/29/2019	9/12/2019
8/9/2019	Embotelladora Andina SA ADR Series B (AKO.B)	$0.1520	$0.1390	9.35%		8/22/2019	8/23/2019
8/9/2019	Haverty Furniture Companies (HVT)	$0.20	$0.18	11.11%	4.18%	8/23/2019	9/11/2019
8/9/2019	Badger Meter (BMI)	$0.17	$0.15	13.33%	1.26%	8/29/2019	9/13/2019
8/9/2019	John Bean Technologies (JBT)	$0.10	$0.09	11.11%		8/16/2019	9/3/2019
8/8/2019	BANCO DO BRASIL/S (BDORY)	$0.0840	$0.0520	61.54%		8/22/2019	9/9/2019
8/8/2019	Spirent Communications (SPMYY)	$0.0680	$0.0610	11.48%		8/16/2019	9/13/2019
8/8/2019	Advanced Drainage Systems (WMS)	$0.09	$0.08	12.50%	1.08%	8/29/2019	9/13/2019
8/8/2019	CIM Commercial Trust (CMCT)	$42.00	$0.1250	33,500.00%		9/3/2019	8/30/2019
8/7/2019	Franco Nevada (FNV)	$0.4390	$0.25	75.60%	1.87%	9/11/2019	9/26/2019
8/7/2019	Intertape Polymer Group (ITPOF)	$0.1470	$0.14	5.00%	4.05%	9/13/2019	9/30/2019
8/7/2019	Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers (RBA)	$0.20	$0.18	11.11%	2.14%	8/27/2019	9/18/2019
8/7/2019	Manulife Financial (MFC)	$0.1890	$0.1290	46.52%		8/19/2019	9/19/2019
8/7/2019	Graham (GHM)	$0.11	$0.10	10.00%	2.21%	8/20/2019	9/4/2019
8/7/2019	Cogent Communications (CCOI)	$0.62	$0.60	3.33%	4.37%	8/22/2019	9/9/2019

How to Invest in Stocks with Increasing Dividends

Dividend stocks have a place in every investor’s portfolio. However, savvy investors know that the secret to success in dividend investing is to identify companies that have a history of increasing their dividend yield over time. Companies that pay dividends are typically mature companies in what are considered defensive stocks (utilities, consumer staples, etc.). These stocks do not generate the same capital growth as high growth stocks so they offer a dividend to help reward shareholders. The best of the best of these stocks are the dividend princes, aristocrats, and kings that have a 10, 25, and 50-year history of increasing their dividend. Dividend investors that do not need the income right away can also take advantage of re-investing dividends as a strategy to help maximize their total return. And for investors who are more comfortable with fund investing, there are a variety of mutual funds and ETFs that are specific to dividend stocks.

Introduction

Income-oriented investors love dividend stocks. These investors love dividend stocks that consistently increase their dividend. As dividend yields go up, it typically causes share prices to increase. This is a win-win for investors as they generate regular dividend income while seeing the value of their shares increase. In this article, we'll take a look at how investors can look for stocks that are increasing their dividends and how to maximize their gain from those investments.

What is a dividend?

A dividend is a monetary payment made to shareholders that comes out of a company’s profit. A dividend is declared and usually pays out quarterly. However, some companies pay a monthly dividend. Still, others pay a single, annual dividend. Investors that are looking for income, as well as reasonable growth, are attracted to dividend stocks.

What companies pay dividends?

Dividends are usually paid by companies who have a slow, steady growth. These companies will not get the same "bang for their buck" by reinvesting in their business. This means to increase shareholder value they will either buy other companies (growth through acquisition) or they will pay dividends – sometimes both.

Why do companies increase dividends?

Companies increase their dividend yield for one of two reasons. The most common reason is that their net profits are increasing. As net profits increase, there is more money to return to shareholders. A second reason is that a company may have a change in strategy. In many cases, a company that is issuing a dividend is still making investments to spur growth and expansion. However, if the company is forecasting an economic slowdown, they may choose to put less money into capital projects. On the opposite end of the spectrum, a rapidly growing company may want to consolidate its capital gains and reassess its market position before continuing its growth strategy. A company may also simply decide to increase its dividend yield to attract more equity investors. In all cases, the choice to increase a dividend means that a company is leaving a larger portion of their profits available to be returned to investors as dividends.

Understanding dividend yield and dividend payout ratio

The dividend yield is the ratio of a company’s annual dividend compared to its share price represented as a percentage. To calculate dividend yield, let’s look at this example:

• Company A announces a $2 per share annual dividend. The stock costs $40 per share.
• Company B announces a $1 per share annual dividend. Their stock also costs $40 per share.

To calculate the yield, you would simply divide the announced per share annual dividend by the share price.

• For company A, that would be 2/40 = 5%
• For company B, that would be 1/40 = 2.5%

Simply put, investing $10,000 in Company A would produce $500 of annual dividend income. That same $10,000 in Company B would produce $250 in annual dividend income. Assuming all other fundamentals were the same, income-oriented investors would prefer to invest in Company A because of the higher yield.

The dividend payout ratio(also known as simply the payout ratio) gives investors an idea of how much profit a company is returning to shareholders as opposed to how much money they are keeping on hand for reinvestment, to pay off debt, or to hold as cash (i.e. retained earnings). The formula for the dividend payout ratio is as follows:

• Dividend Payout Ratio = Dividends Paid/Net Income

Some companies will payout 100% of their income to shareholders. An investor should expect a company’s payout ratio to be higher if they are a mature, established company. When a company has a high percentage of retained earnings, it can try the patience of investors.

How to invest in stocks with increasing dividends

Step One: Choose wisely

Once you’ve looked at a company’s dividend yield and dividend payout ratio, it’s still important to choose wisely. Although a dividend is generally considered to be a sign that a company is healthy, that is not always the case. Keep in mind that a dividend is an alternative measure of capital growth. Growth investors would rather invest in companies that are generating impressive revenue and plowing that money back into their business to stimulate even more growth.

A company like Coca-Cola has continued to grow year after year (it’s a favorite of Warren Buffett). Coke’s appeal is in a dividend that is both consistently being issued and is growing every year.

But just because a company has a reputation for offering a dividend, investors should still expect a level of dividend growth. IBM issues a nice dividend of around 4.5% per year. However, the stock has been battered for several years and was showing negative capital growth. So even if investors were reinvesting their dividends, they would not be seeing a large total return from holding that stock.

Also, remember that just because a company announces a dividend does not mean they have to pay it. This is not common, but some companies will announce a dividend, usually with a very attractive yield, to entice investors. But if the company runs into financial difficulty, any dividends are usually the first thing to get cut.

Many companies have a solid track record of raising their dividends. The best of the best have royal titles: princes, aristocrats, and kings.

• Dividend princes have raised their dividend for at least 10 years.
• Dividend aristocrats have raised their dividend for at least 25 years.
• Dividend kings have raised their dividend for at least 50 years.

These companies are very attractive to investors. Any company that has both the desire and the ability to generate increased dividend payments for its shareholders is a stock worth considering for an investor's portfolio. Dividend stocks are regarded as defensive stocks because of their ability to weather the volatility of both bull and bear markets. Put another way, most of these companies are in industries where consumers and businesses will always have a need for their products or services. The ability of these companies to increase their dividend for at least 10 years means that many of these companies have a strong, competitive advantage.

Step Two: Look to reinvest dividends

Many, but not all, dividend-paying companies allow individuals to reinvest dividends through a dividend reinvestment plan (DRIP). Automatic reinvestment is a strategy for investors who do not need regular income that is generated by dividends.

Here’s a simplified example of how a DRIP works. Company XYZ has a share price of $25 per share and a dividend yield of 5%. If an investor buys 100 shares, they will earn a yearly dividend of $125 ($2,500 x 5%). If they choose to reinvest that dividend, at the end of the year they will have purchased an additional five shares of Company XYZ stock and the value of their holdings assuming the share price remained at $25 would be $2,625. It’s a wash, right? But what if the share price climbs to $30 by the end of the year? Assuming the dividend yield does not increase, the payout would be $125, but the 105 shares would now be worth $3,150.

Some companies allow investors to put in additional money (with some minimum and maximum restrictions). An investor will typically pay the market price for those shares, although some companies will sell these shares at a slight discount.

There are two caveats for investors looking to buy additional shares separate from dividends being reinvested. First, is that it can take some time to sell the shares that you buy directly from the company. Second, it is important to remember that every dividend reinvestment represents shares that are being purchased at a different price. This means that the capital gains are going to be different for every transaction. Therefore, when you go to sell these shares all of those capital gains have to be accounted for.

Step Three: Look at dividend mutual funds and ETFs

Investing in a dividend mutual fund or ETF is a good option for beginning investors and investors who don’t want to take the time to choose their own stocks or track individual stocks once they buy them. These funds are typically comprised of multiple dividend-paying stocks. If you believe in the idea of not putting all your eggs in one basket, this may be a great option.

However, choosing a fund can be like walking into a Baskin-Robbins. There are a lot of varieties and it’s still up to you to decide on which funds are right for you. You'll want to look at the stocks that are included and check their dividend yield, their consistency with paying the dividend over time, their expense ratio (low is good) and the size of the company, or market capitalization. From lowest to highest risk, there are large caps, mid-caps, and small caps.

Why do companies cut their dividends?

If dividends are attractive to some investors why do companies cut their dividend? As we mentioned above, a company that is not rapidly growing may take on debt to spur growth. If the company takes on a lot of debt in a short time, the dividend may have to get cut for the company to service the payment of the debt.

Beware of chasing a yield

One trap that can befall dividend investors is chasing high yield. In some cases, a company's dividend yield exists for good reason. But in some cases, the high dividend yield is a warning that the company is not financially stable. That’s why it’s always good to follow the strategy of looking at a company’s fundamentals to understand if their dividend yield and/or payout ratio is sustainable and also looking for companies with a history of increasing yields.

The final work on investing in stocks with increasing dividends

Investing in dividend stocks is a time-honored way of growing wealth slowly. Following the simple three-part strategy of choosing a company wisely, looking to reinvest your dividends, and if necessary investing in dividend mutual funds and ETFs are good ways to identify and take advantage of dividend stocks that are increasing their dividends regularly. Dividend investing is not about chasing the highest yield you can find. There are often reasons why a company is offering a high yield. Like many things in life, if it looks too good to be true, it usually is.