Friday, January 20, 2012

23 Stocks Increasing Shareholder Wealth With Higher Dividends

Dividend growth investing is a long-term strategy. A growing dividend is a sign that the company is becoming more valuable. Companies that consistently increase dividends tend to have steadily rising share prices and the best way to benefit from this is to buy and hold the stocks. Diversification and a focus on blue-chip stocks provides insurance for the few companies that don't pan out.

Below are several companies that are increasing shareholder wealth by raising their cash dividends:

The Williams Companies, Inc. (WMB) engages in finding, producing, gathering, processing, and transporting natural gas primarily in the United States. January 19th the company increased its quarterly dividend 3.5% to $0.25875 per share. The dividend is payable March 26, 2012, to holders of record at the close of business on March 9. The yield based on the new payout is 3.8%.

Schlumberger Limited (SLB) supplies technology, integrated project management, and information solutions to the oil and gas exploration and production industries worldwide. January 19th the company increased its quarterly dividend 10% to $0.275 per share. The dividend is payable on April 13, 2012 to stockholders of record at the close of business on February 22, 2012. The yield based on the new payout is 1.5%.

IDACORP, Inc. (IDA) Idaho Power Company, engages in the generation, transmission, distribution, sale, and purchase of electric energy in the United States. January 19th the company increased its quarterly dividend 10% to $0.33 per share. The dividend is payable February 29, 2012 to IDACORP shareholders of record on February 6, 2012. The yield based on the new payout is 3.2%.

The Men's Wearhouse, Inc. (MW) operates as a specialty retailer of men's suits in the United States and Canada. January 19th the company increased its quarterly dividend 50% to $0.18 per share. The dividend is payable on March 23, 2012 to shareholders of record at the close of business on March 13, 2012. The yield based on the new payout is 2.1%.

CenterPoint Energy, Inc. (CNP) operates as a public utility holding company in the United States. January 19th the company increased its quarterly dividend 2.5% to $0.2025 per share. The dividend is payable on March 9, 2012, to shareholders of record as of the close of business on February 16, 2012. The yield based on the new payout is 4.4%.

Pall Corporation (PLL) manufactures and markets filtration, purification, and separation products and integrated systems solutions worldwide. January 19th the company increased its quarterly dividend 20% to $0.21 cents per share. The dividend is payable on February 21, 2012, to shareholders of record on the close of business on February 7, 2012. This is the 8th consecutive year the company has increased its cash dividend. The yield based on the new payout is 1.4%.

Crosstex Energy, L.P. (XTEX) Crosstex Energy Services, L.P. operates as an independent midstream energy company. January 19th the company increased its quarterly distribution 23% to $0.32 per unit. The distribution is payable February 14 to unitholders of record February 1. The yield based on the new payout is 7.5%.

Crosstex Energy, Inc. (XTXI) engages in the gathering, transmission, processing, and marketing of natural gas and natural gas liquids (NGLs) in the United States. January 19th the company increased its quarterly dividend 38% to $0.11 per share. The dividend is payable February 14 to shareholders of record February 1. The yield based on the new payout is 3.1%.

Family Dollar Stores, Inc. (FDO) operates a chain of self-service retail discount stores primarily for low and middle income consumers in the United States. January 19th the company increased its quarterly dividend 16.7% to $0.21 per share. The dividend is payable Friday, April 13, 2012, to shareholders of record at the close of business on Thursday, March 15, 2012. The yield based on the new payout is 1.5%.

The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. (MHP) provides various information services for financial, educational, and business information markets worldwide. January 18th the company increased its quarterly dividend 2% to $0.255 per share. The dividend is payable March 12, 2012, to shareholders of record on February 27, 2012. The yield based on the new payout is 2.2%.

AmeriGas Partners, L.P. (APU) operates as a retail and wholesale distributor of propane gas in the United States. January 18th the company increased its distribution 3% to $0.7625 per unit. The distribution is payable February 17, 2012 to unitholders of record February 10, 2012. The yield based on the new payout is 7.3%.

Vanguard Natural Resources, LLC (VNR) engages in the acquisition and development of oil and natural gas properties in the United States. January 18th the company increased its quarterly distribution 1.7% to $0.5875 per unit. The distribution is payable payable on February 14, 2012 to unitholders of record on February 7, 2012. The yield based on the new payout is 8.1%.

ONEOK, Inc. (OKE) is a diversified energy company that operates as a natural gas distributor primarily in the United States. January 18th the company increased its quarterly 9% to $0.61 per share. The dividend is payable Feb. 14, 2012, to shareholders of record at the close of business Jan. 31, 2012. The yield based on the new payout is 2.7%.

Crestwood Midstream Partners LP (CMLP) engages in gathering, compressing, treating, processing, and transporting natural gas primarily on the Barnett Shale formation of the Fort Worth Basin in north Texas. January 18th the company increased its quarterly distribution to $0.49 per unit. This distribution is payable on February 10, 2012, to unitholders of record on January 31, 2012. The yield based on the new payout is 6.5%.

Alexander's, Inc. (ALX), a real estate investment trust (REIT), engages in leasing, managing, developing, and redeveloping properties in the greater New York City metropolitan area. January 18th the company increased its quarterly dividend 25% to $3.75 per share. The dividend is payable on February 21, 2012 to stockholders of record on January 30, 2012. The yield based on the new payout is 4.1%.

Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S.A. (BLX) provides trade financing to commercial banks, middle-market companies, and corporations primarily in Latin America. January 17th the company increasedits quarterly dividend 25% to $0.25 per share. The dividend is payable February 9, 2012 to the Bank's stockholders as of the January 31, 2012 record date. The yield based on the new payout is 7.3%.

TransMontaigne Partners L.P. (TLP) operates as a terminaling and transportation company. January 17th the company increased its quarterly distribution 3.3% to $0.63 per share. The distribution is payable on February 7, 2012 to unitholders of record on January 31, 2012. The yield based on the new payout is 7.3%.

Mac-Gray Corporation (TUC) operates as a laundry facilities management contractor in the United States. January 17th the company increased its quarterly dividend 10% to $0.0605 per share. The dividend is payable on April 1, 2012, to stockholders of record at the close of business on March 15, 2012. The yield based on the new payout is 1.8%.

Optical Cable Corporation (OCC) engages in the design, development, manufacture, marketing, and sale of fiber optic and copper data communications cabling and connectivity solutions primarily for the enterprise market. January 17th the company increased its quarterly dividend 50% to $0.015 per share. January 13, 2012. The dividend is payable on or about February 15, 2012 to shareholders of record on January 27, 2012. The yield based on the new payout is 1.7%.

Homeowners Choice, Inc. (HCII) provides property and casualty insurance in Florida. January 16th the company increased its quarterly dividend 20% to $0.15 per share. The dividend is payable Mar. 16, 2012 to shareholders of record on the close of business Feb. 17, 2012. The yield based on the new payout is 6.7%.

Omega Healthcare Investors, Inc. (OHI) operates as a real estate investment trust (REIT) in the United States. January 13th the company increased its quarterly dividend 2.5% to $0.41 per share. The common stock dividend is payable February 15, 2012 to common stockholders of record as of the close of business on January 31, 2012. The yield based on the new payout is 8.1%.

Kaiser Aluminum Corporation (KALU) produces and sells semi-fabricated specialty aluminum products primarily in the United States and Canada. January 13th the company increased its quarterly dividend 4.2% to $0.25 per share. The dividend is payable on February 15, 2012 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on January 24, 2012. The yield based on the new payout is 2.0%.

Core Laboratories N.V. (CLB) provides reservoir description, production enhancement, and reservoir management services to the oil and gas industry worldwide. January 13th the company increased its quarterly dividend 12% to $0.28 per share. The dividend is payable on 24 February 2012 to shareholders of record on 24 January 2012. The yield based on the new payout is 1.0%.

Selecting stocks with increasing dividends is critical for an income growth strategy. The above list contains stocks that recently raised their dividends and those expected to in 2012; it is not a list of recommend buys. As always, due diligence should be performed before buying or selling any stock. For a list of stocks with a long string of consecutive cash dividend increases, see this list.

Full Disclosure: Long OHI in my High-Yield Portfolio. See a list of all my dividend growth holdings here.

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- The Most Important Thing To Consider When Selecting A Dividend Stock
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Tags: [MHP] [SLB] [FDO] [KALU] [WMB] [IDA] [MW] [CNP] [PLL] [XTEX] [XTXI] [APU] [VNR] [OKE] [CMLP] [ALX] [BLX] [TLP] [TUC] [OCC] [HCII] [OHI] [CLB]