8 Companies Secure in Raising Dividends

People want to feel secure. National security and the military provide assurance that a country’s citizens will be protected, thus allowing them to focus their attention on other interests and endeavors. National security is so large that no government can do it all alone. They all partner with companies like Northrop Grumman Corp (NOC) to provide the best defense products at the lowest price.

NOC this week helped its shareholders feel secure by raising its quarterly dividend 3.6% to $0.43/share. The company has increased its quarterly dividend in each of the last five years, and it has more than doubled its dividend since 2003. The dividend is payable June 13, 2009, to shareholders of record as of the close of business June 1, 2009. The ex-dividend date is May 28. The current yield based on the new dividend is 3.6%.

Below are several other companies making their shareholders feel a little more secure this week by increasing the cash dividends paid:

• Assurant (AIZ) increases its quarterly dividend 7% to $0.15, yielding 2.66%
• AmerisourceBergen (ABC) raises its quarterly dividend 20% to $0.06, yielding 0.65%
• Airgas (ARG) boosts its quarterly dividend 12.5% to $0.18, yielding 1.66%
• AAON (AAON) jumps its semi-annual dividend 13%, yielding 1.72%
• ACE Limited (ACE) increases its quarterly dividend 7% to $0.31/share, yielding 2.58%
• Xcel Energy (XEL) raises its quarterly dividend 3.2% to $0.245/share, yielding 5.75%
• Raven Industries (RAVN) boosts its quarterly dividend 8% to $0.14/share, yielding 1.92%

One sign of a safe and secure dividend is longevity. For companies with a long string of consecutive dividend increases, see this list.

Full Disclosure: No position in the aforementioned companies. See a list of all my income holdings here.

Comments

[ECONOMICS 101:]

Vic De Zen the ex-CEO of a 10,0000 person company and excess of $1 Billion of annual sales today told me that dividends are fine for shareholders of a company but as long as they are not at the expense of the health of the company itself. A company will always need money for research and development and to grow and to create new products. Growth should come first he says.
Analysts love growth and growth comes at a price.
Vic De Zen is involved with a new and vibrant company called ZZEN Group of Companies. They are involved in real estate development and proprietary plastic manufacturing processes.
Vic De Zen was previously the CEO and majority shareholder of Royal Group Technologies of Ontario.
Vic De Zen also has a son named Sergio De Zen.
Due to his seniority and tenure I will accept his knowledge and recommendation and invest accordingly.
By Johnathan Vrozos
johnathanvrozos.com
johnathanvrozos.ca

May 24 05:28 PM