Recent Dividend Increases

Dividend investors would be wise to focus not just on a stock's current yield, but also on the long-term growth potential of its dividends. That's because strong businesses that consistently raise their dividend payouts reward shareholders with a steadily rising income stream that essentially equates to a raise every year. Below are some stocks which have increased their dividends recently.

Philip Morris (PM) -  Philip Morris recently raised its regular quarterly dividend by 10.6% further boosting shareholder value. The company raised it's dividend from 85 to 94 cents per share every quarter, amounting to an annualized rate of $3.76 per share. The new dividend yield was 4.34% on an annual basis as of the current price of $86.56 on Sep 11, 2013. The first increased quarterly dividend is payable on Oct 11, 2013, to stockholders of record as of Sep 26, 2013.

Rait Financial Trust (RAS) - Rait announced that on September 10, 2013, RAIT’s Board of Trustees declared a third quarter 2013 cash dividend on Rait’s common shares of $0.15 per common share, representing a 15% increase from the prior quarter's dividend of $0.13 per common share and a 67% increase from the third quarter 2012 dividend of $0.09 per common share. The dividend will be paid on October 31, 2013 to holders of record on October 3, 2013. The ex-dividend date is October 1, 2013.

Realty Income Corporation (O) - Recently announced its board of directors had declared an increase in the company's common stock monthly cash dividend to $0.1818542 per share from $0.1815417 per share. The dividend is payable on October 15, 2013 to shareholders of record as of October 1, 2013. This is the 73^rd dividend increase since Realty Income went public in 1994. The new monthly dividend amount represents an annualized dividend amount of approximately $2.182 per share as compared to the previous annualized dividend amount of approximately $2.179 per share. The company continues its long-term policy of declaring and paying dividends on a monthly, rather than on a quarterly, basis.

International Paper (IP) - Leading packaging and paper manufacturer International Paper Company (IP) increased its quarterly dividend by 17% year over year to 35 cents per share. The fourth quarter 2013 dividend is payable in cash on Dec 16 to shareholders of record at the close of business on Nov 15. Based on the closing price of $38.56 on Sep 6, 2013, the proposed dividend offers a yield of 2.84.

Avago Technologies Limited (AVGO) - A leading semiconductor manufacturer, recently announced a 9.5% year-over-year hike in its dividend payout to a quarterly payment of 23 cents per share or 92 cents on an annualized basis. The third quarter fiscal 2013 dividend is payable in cash on Sep 30 to shareholders of record as of Sep 19. Based on the closing price of $38.56 on Sep 6, 2013, the proposed dividend offers a yield of 2.38%. 

Full Disclosure: I have a position in Realty Income Corp. (O). You can see a list of all my dividend growth positions here.