In compiling the Dividend Champions list (found here), I get to see which companies are nearing the anniversaries of their previous dividend increases. Since most of these firms raise their payout about the same time every year, I can say with some confidence that they are likely to do so again.
More Good News Ahead
After a noticeable pick-up in the number of companies that typically increase their dividends in the last part of the year, we should see a modest start to 2013, with only a small number expected in January, which coincides with the "forward look" of about 11 weeks for this article.
I have modified the Expected Increase series to reflect a more SA-friendly format by separating the Champions, Contenders, and Challengers into distinct groupings, so please look for the other articles, which I hope will be published about the same time.
Based on last year's announcements, I'm expecting the following companies to announce dividend increases between now and the anniversary of the Ex-Dividend Date of their previous increase:
Dividend Champions (25 or more years):
Company | Ticker | No. | 10/31 | Div. | MR% | LY | Ann. |
Name | Symbol | Yrs | Price | Yield | Inc. | Ex-Div | Div. |
Lancaster Colony Corp. | (LANC) | 49 | 72.78 | 1.98 | 9.09 | 12/7/11 | 1.44 |
United Bankshares Inc. | (UBSI) | 38 | 23.80 | 5.21 | 3.33 | 12/7/11 | 1.24 |
Becton, Dickinson & Co. | (BDX) | 40 | 75.68 | 2.38 | 9.76 | 12/8/11 | 1.80 |
Franklin Resources | (BEN) | 31 | 127.80 | 0.85 | 8.00 | 12/15/11 | 1.08 |
McCormick & Co. | (MKC) | 26 | 61.62 | 2.01 | 10.71 | 12/28/11 | 1.24 |
Nucor Corp. | (NUE) | 39 | 40.13 | 3.64 | 0.69 | 12/28/11 | 1.46 |
Valspar Corp. | (VAL) | 34 | 56.03 | 1.43 | 11.11 | 12/29/11 | 0.80 |
ABM Industries Inc. | (ABM) | 45 | 19.00 | 3.05 | 3.57 | 1/3/12 | 0.58 |
Hormel Foods Corp. | (HRL) | 46 | 29.53 | 2.03 | 17.65 | 1/19/12 | 0.60 |
Pentair Ltd. | (PNR) | 36 | 42.24 | 2.08 | 10.00 | 1/25/12 | 0.88 |
MR=Most Recent
Note that Franklin
