There was big news out of the market for dividend and income investors last week. Two of the bluest blue chips, Microsoft (MSFT) and McDonald's (MCD), both announced big dividend increases.
Microsoft pleased the Street with a 22% increase to its dividend, climbing to $1.12 annually that equates to a current yield of 3.4%. Microsoft also announced another $40 billion share buyback program to replace its existing $40 billion authorization that is set to expire on Sep 30. McDonalds announced a dividend increase of its own, raising its payout by 5% to 81 cents per share, lifting its current yield to 3.3%.
But that got me thinking: Which companies from the S&P 500 are the most shareholder friendly, with the biggest dividend increases in the last 5 years? Here is a list of the top 5 companies from the last 5 years with the biggest dividend increases.
5 Best Blue Chip Stocks To Buy Right Now: Philip Morris International Inc(PM)
Philip Morris International Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture and sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products in markets outside of the United States. Its international product brand line comprises Marlboro, Merit, Parliament, Virginia Slims, L&M, Chesterfield, Bond Street, Lark, Muratti, Next, Philip Morris, and Red & White. The company also offers its products under the A Mild, Dji Sam Soe, and A Hijau in Indonesia; Diana in Italy; Optima and Apollo-Soyuz in the Russian Federation; Morven Gold in Pakistan; Boston in Colombia; Belmont, Canadian Classics, and Number 7 in Canada; Best and Classic in Serbia; f6 in Germany; Delicados in Mexico; Assos in Greece; and Petra in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. It operates primarily in the European Union, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Canada, and Latin America. The company is based in New York, New York.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Diane Alter]
Dividend Stocks That Increased Payout in September
Accenture plc (NYSE: ACN) announced a 14.8%, or $0.12 per share, increase to its semiannual dividend. The management consulting firm will now pay a semiannual dividend of $0.93. Shares yield 2.53%. Agruim Inc. (NYSE: AGU) boosted its dividend by $1.00 per share to a total dividend of $3.00 on an annualized basis. Shares of the global retailer of agricultural products now sprout a 3.54% yield. Air Industries Group Inc. (NYSE: AIRI) doubled its dividend to $0.125 per share. The maker of airplane and helicopter parts now floats a lofty yield of 6.6%. Alexandria Real Estate Equities Inc. (NYSE: ARE) upped its dividend 4.6% to $0.68 per quarter for a yield of 4.21%. Banner Corp. (Nasdaq: BANR) boosted its quarterly dividend 25% to $0.15 per share. The parent company of Banner and Islander Bank serves the Pacific Northwest region. Brady Corp. (NYSE: BRC) lifted its quarterly dividend 2.6% to $0.78 per share. It was the 28th straight dividend increase from the identification solutions company. Shares yield 2.57%. Campbell Soup Co. (NSE: CPB) raised its quarterly dividend to $0.31 per share, up from $0.29. The company last raised its dividend in November 2010. Shares yield a hearty 3.06%. CLARCOR Inc. (NYSE: CLC) raised its quarterly dividend 26% to $0.17 per share. It's the largest percentage increase from the Tennessee-based diversified marketer of mobile filtration and packaging products in the last 20 years, and it continues the company's consecutive streak of increasing dividends for the last 30 years. Franklin Resources Inc. (NYSE: BEN) boosted its quarterly dividend 2.6% to $0.10 per share. Frisch's Restaurants Inc. (NYSE: FRS) increased its quarterly dividend 12.5% to $0.18. Shares yield 3.10% The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company (NYSE: GT), in a move that suggests good times are ahead, reinstated its dividend at $0.05 per share. Good
5 Best Blue Chip Stocks To Buy Right Now: Apple Inc.(AAPL)
Apple Inc., together with subsidiaries, designs, manufactures, and markets personal computers, mobile communication and media devices, and portable digital music players, as well as sells related software, services, peripherals, networking solutions, and third-party digital content and applications worldwide. The company sells its products worldwide through its online stores, retail stores, direct sales force, third-party wholesalers, resellers, and value-added resellers. In addition, it sells third-party Mac, iPhone, iPad, and iPod compatible products, including application software, printers, storage devices, speakers, headphones, and other accessories and peripherals through its online and retail stores; and digital content and applications through the iTunes Store. The company sells its products to consumer, small and mid-sized business, education, enterprise, government, and creative markets. As of September 25, 2010, it had 317 retail stores, including 233 stores in the United States and 84 stores internationally. The company, formerly known as Apple Computer, Inc., was founded in 1976 and is headquartered in Cupertino, California.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Rick Munarriz]
A month after Facebook (NASDAQ: FB ) was reportedly making a $1 billion offer for Waze -- and several months after Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL ) praised Waze as a near-term fix to its Apple Maps fiasco before being mentioned in buyout chatter itself -- Google (NASDAQ: GOOG ) whisked away the fast-growing app maker.
Top 5 Stocks To Buy For 2014: Chevron Corporation(CVX)
Chevron Corporation, through its subsidiaries, engages in petroleum, chemicals, mining, power generation, and energy operations worldwide. It operates in two segments, Upstream and Downstream. The Upstream segment involves in the exploration, development, and production of crude oil and natural gas; processing, liquefaction, transportation, and regasification associated with liquefied natural gas; transportation of crude oil through pipelines; and transportation, storage, and marketing of natural gas, as well as holds interest in a gas-to-liquids project. The Downstream segment engages in the refining of crude oil into petroleum products; marketing of crude oil and refined products primarily under the Chevron, Texaco, and Caltex brand names; transportation of crude oil and refined products by pipeline, marine vessel, motor equipment, and rail car; and manufacture and marketing of commodity petrochemicals, plastics for industrial uses, and fuel and lubricant additives. It a lso produces and markets coal and molybdenum; and holds interests in 13 power assets with a total operating capacity of approximately 3,100 megawatts, as well as involves in cash management and debt financing activities, insurance operations, real estate activities, energy services, and alternative fuels and technology business. Chevron Corporation has a joint venture agreement with China National Petroleum Corporation. The company was formerly known as ChevronTexaco Corp. and changed its name to Chevron Corporation in May 2005. Chevron Corporation was founded in 1879 and is based in San Ramon, California.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Travis Hoium]
Dow components ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM ) and Chevron (NYSE: CVX ) have actually fallen slightly on oil's new high because they may not see a big benefit from higher prices. Oil is becoming more expensive to extract, and demand isn't rising rapidly, which would lead to higher profits from refining, retail, and extraction. Instead, demand is flat or declining slightly in the developed world, and there are big worries that supply disruptions will hit the Middle East as violence spreads there.
- [By Dan Caplinger]
However, looking more deeply at the numbers once again reveals the huge influence that rising energy prices have had on the CPI. Energy prices rose 3.4% during the month, with gasoline prices jumping more than 6%. Yet both Chevron (NYSE: CVX ) and ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM ) are trading lower today despite rising oil prices, showing that even energy stocks don't always benefit from inflationary pressure, because higher prices spur oil consumers to reduce their consumption. When you take out the volatile food and energy segments, core CPI rose just 0.2%, adding up to a 1.6% gain over the past year. That level is low enough to give the Federal Reserve latitude to maintain its accommodative monetary policies a bit longer.
- [By Jim Jubak]
First, the cancellation of Shell's project emphasizes the huge first-mover advantage that Cheniere has. Future plants to be built by competitors will face much higher construction costs. Inflated labor costs have already resulted in a 20% cost overrun for Chevron's (CVX) Gorgon liquefied natural gas project in Australia. And a Canadian oil sands boom—that has pushed wages for oil industry construction workers in Canada to 60% more than in the United States—is giving pause to companies such as Chevron, Royal Dutch, and National Petroleum, which have as many as nine liquefied natural gas terminals on Canada's West Coast on the drawing boards.
5 Best Blue Chip Stocks To Buy Right Now: McDonald's Corporation(MCD)
McDonald?s Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a worldwide foodservice retailer. It franchises and operates McDonald?s restaurants that offer various food items, soft drinks, coffee, and other beverages. As of December 31, 2009, the company operated 32,478 restaurants in 117 countries, of which 26,216 were operated by franchisees; and 6,262 were operated by the company. McDonald?s Corporation was founded in 1948 and is based in Oak Brook, Illinois.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Steve Symington]
McDonald's (NYSE: MCD ) , for example, also took a hit during April, as same-store sales for its Asia/Pacific region fell 2.9% that month, thanks largely to weakness in China. Of course, when we remember McDonald's currently operates less than one-third the total number of locations in China as Yum! Brands, combined with the fact that Mickey D's most significant market here in the U.S. is showing remarkable strength, it should come as no surprise that McDonald's investors weren't nearly as concerned as those with an interest in Yum! stock.�
5 Best Blue Chip Stocks To Buy Right Now: Visa Inc.(V)
Visa Inc., a payments technology company, engages in the operation of retail electronic payments network worldwide. It facilitates commerce through the transfer of value and information among financial institutions, merchants, consumers, businesses, and government entities. The company owns and operates VisaNet, a global processing platform that provides transaction processing services. It also offers a range of payments platforms, which enable credit, charge, deferred debit, debit, and prepaid payments, as well as cash access for consumers, businesses, and government entities. The company provides its payment platforms under the Visa, Visa Electron, PLUS, and Interlink brand names. In addition, it offers value-added services, including risk management, issuer processing, loyalty, dispute management, value-added information, and CyberSource-branded services. The company is headquartered in San Francisco, California.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Ben Levisohn]
Shares of Alcoa have jumped 4.3% to $8.28 today at 1:26 p.m, which would have made it the Dow’s best performer today instead of AT&T (T) and its 2.8% gain. Still it’s hard to complain too much today as the Dow’s three new members are having solid, if not extraordinary, days. Nike (NKE) has jumped 1.3% after its CEO told analysts that his company could have $30 billion of sales in 2015 and $36 billion by 2017. Goldman Sachs (GS), meanwhile, has gained 1.3% to $155.04 and Visa (V) has advanced 0.8% to $183.98.
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