Ross Stores announced its 22nd annual dividend increase this week. Photo: Flickr.com/Nicholas Eckhart
For the first time since I’ve been doing this, there were no dividend announcements from any of the S&P Dividend Aristocrats. Only four members of the S&P High Yield Dividend Aristocrats index announced their latest dividend payments this week. Fortunately, two of the four were annual dividend increases – defense contractor General Dynamics and discount retailer Ross Stores are increasing their dividends by more than 10%. Read on for the details and for the list of dividend growth stocks going ex-dividend next week.
S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats
None this week!
S&P 500 High Yield Dividend Aristocrats
General Dynamics Corporation (GD)
Industry: Aerospace & Defense
Dividend Payment: 76 cents per share – up 10.1% from prior level of 69 cents
Dividend Paid On: 5/6
Stock Goes Ex-Dividend (own the stock before this date to collect the dividend): 4/6
Number of Years of Dividend Increases: 25
Current Forward Yield: 2.25%
Industry: Clothing Retailer
Dividend Payment: 13.5 cents per share – up 14.9% from prior level of 11.75 cents
Dividend Paid On: 3/31
Stock Goes Ex-Dividend (own the stock before this date to collect the dividend): 3/10
Number of Years of Dividend Increases: 22
Current Forward Yield: 0.94%
United Bankshares, Inc. (UBSI)
Industry: Regional Banking
Dividend Payment: 33 cents per share
Dividend Paid On: 4/1
Stock Goes Ex-Dividend (own the stock before this date to collect the dividend): 3/9
Number of Years of Dividend Increases: 42
Current Forward Yield: 3.52%
West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (WST)
Industry: Healthcare – Medical Instruments
Dividend Payment: 12 cents per share
Dividend Paid On: 5/4
Stock Goes Ex-Dividend (own the stock before this date to collect the dividend): 4/18
Number of Years of Dividend Increases: 24
Current Forward Yield: 0.74%
Next Week’s Ex-Dividend Stocks
Tuesday, March 8:
Becton, Dickinson and Company (BDX)
MDU Resources Group, Inc. (MDU)
Wednesday, March 9:
Automatic Data Processing, Inc. (ADP)
Commerce Bancshares, Inc. (CBSH)
United Bankshares, Inc. (UBSI)
Thursday, March 10:
T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. (TROW)
United Technologies Corporation (UTX)
Friday, March 11:
Monday, March 14: