Dividend and Distribution Hikes - 2012

[JaydoubleU]

Astrazeneca (AZN) increases the dividend by 10%--

-Dividend increased by 10 percent to $2.80 for the full year. Net share repurchases total $5.6 billion in 2011.
-Board announces plans for $4.5 billion in net share repurchases for 2012.

[BRIAN5000]

IMO

Dividend continues its upward trajectory – 9% increase announced
-IMO announced a $0.01/share increase to its quarterly dividend (resulting in a 2012 dividend of $0.12/share).
-Dividends had increased by 34% since 2006 (prior to today’s increase). Despite a commitment to dividend
increases, IMO’s current 1% dividend yield remains the lowest among its peers (HSE – 4.9%, CVE – 2.2%,
and SU – 1.3%).

[AltaRed]

Despite a commitment to dividend increases, IMO’s current 1% dividend yield remains the lowest among its peers (HSE – 4.9%, CVE – 2.2%,
and SU – 1.3%).

Frustratingly low. However, that allows IMO to re-invest retained earnings and obtain 'rapid' organic growth without borrowing. Ultimately, the investor has to decide whether that re-investment results in better ROE and CF/share growth than paying dividends. Do you believe they will double production over the next decade as they say they will (per their earnings releases)? Will that result in a cash machine circa 2020? Could be a company Warren Buffett could love.

[Sensei]

Hi,

Royal Dutch Shell announced a 2.4% dividend increase. The quarterly dividend will be 86 cents, up from 84 cents. Not a huge increase, but certainly one of the best of of the majors at 4.7% yield.

[pmredmonton]

Astrazeneca (AZN) increases the dividend by 10%--

-Dividend increased by 10 percent to $2.80 for the full year. Net share repurchases total $5.6 billion in 2011.
-Board announces plans for $4.5 billion in net share repurchases for 2012.

AZN is facing a horrible patent cliff and they don't have much of a pipeline. If you go through with this one you can expect further stock price loss as the move to generics intensifies and eventually will see a dividend cut.

I really don't like much Pharma right now because of the patent cliffs on some very common meds. The replacements are often for much rarer conditions. It is also unsure how much some meds will be used like the new anti-coagulants versus good old coumadin.

It seems like most of the growth is in oncology meds, genetic disorders and anti-virals.

I actually prefer the medical equipment makers and diagnostic testing companies (Medtronic, Stryker, Zimmer, Intuitive Surgical, MAKO surgical, BDX, Baxter, Cov).

You can consider JNJ or Abbott amongst the majors due to their multiple divisions but I'd prefer a pullback to 60 for JNJ and about 51 for ABT.

[JaydoubleU]

JaydoubleU wrote:
Astrazeneca (AZN) increases the dividend by 10%--
Quote:
-Dividend increased by 10 percent to $2.80 for the full year. Net share repurchases total $5.6 billion in 2011.
-Board announces plans for $4.5 billion in net share repurchases for 2012.


AZN is facing a horrible patent cliff and they don't have much of a pipeline. If you go through with this one you can expect further stock price loss as the move to generics intensifies and eventually will see a dividend cut.

I really don't like much Pharma right now because of the patent cliffs on some very common meds. The replacements are often for much rarer conditions. It is also unsure how much some meds will be used like the new anti-coagulants versus good old coumadin.

It seems like most of the growth is in oncology meds, genetic disorders and anti-virals.

I actually prefer the medical equipment makers and diagnostic testing companies (Medtronic, Stryker, Zimmer, Intuitive Surgical, MAKO surgical, BDX, Baxter, Cov).

You can consider JNJ or Abbott amongst the majors due to their multiple divisions but I'd prefer a pullback to 60 for JNJ and about 51 for ABT.

I thought this was the thread for dividend hike announcements only. I think there's another for the discussion of big pharma.

[JaydoubleU]

BP Raises Dividend

BP today announced a 14 per cent increase in its quarterly dividend – to 8 cents per share for the fourth quarter of 2011 – the first rise since the company resumed paying a dividend a year ago. BP's underlying replacement cost profit for the quarter rose by 14 per cent on the same period in the previous year.

Keep on rockin' in the free world.

[JaydoubleU]

Glaxosmithcline (GSX)

Let's see, Q4 dividend raised 11% from 19p to 21p plus special dividend of 5p, for a total Q4 dividend of 26p vs 19p last year. Don't know how many loonies that's going to be, but the direction is UP

Strong cash generation and enhanced returns to shareholders:
– Adjusted net cash inflow from operating activities (excluding legal) £7.7 billion
– £2.2 billion of shares bought back as part of long term programme
– Total 2011 dividends of 75p including ordinary dividend of 70p, +8% (Q4 21p, +11%) and
supplemental dividend of 5p related to divestment of North American OTC brands in January 2012

And it gets better:

Outlook for 2012:
– Continued ordinary dividend growth and share buy-backs of £1-2 billion expected in 2012

Note: edited to select information I like

[Peculiar_Investor]

Priceless? MasterCard doubles quarterly dividend | Reuters

MasterCard Inc (MA.N) doubled its quarterly dividend to 30 cents a share, a week after the world's second-largest credit and debit card processing network posted strong quarterly results.

[Sensei]

BP Raises Dividend

BP today announced a 14 per cent increase in its quarterly dividend – to 8 cents per share for the fourth quarter of 2011 – the first rise since the company resumed paying a dividend a year ago. BP's underlying replacement cost profit for the quarter rose by 14 per cent on the same period in the previous year.

8 cents per share must be a typo??? The current quarterly dividend is .42 per share, so the new dividend will be .48 per share. Anyway, it certainly shows BP intends to make stockholders whole again.

[rishitibriwal]

Actually, there isn't a typo. The 8 cents is per share dividend and what you probably hold are the ADS, which represent 6 shares to an ADS.

[Sensei]

Hi,

Lots of good news today here. Just to add to the GSK announcement above, I think the ADR = 2 GBP shares, so the quarterly dividend should be about .66 cents. (Last year's April dividend was about .61) Also, the 5p special should become 16 cents.

[Sensei]

Actually, there isn't a typo. The 8 cents is per share dividend and what you probably hold are the ADS, which represent 6 shares to an ADS.

Thanks for clearing that up. However, I'm an ex-shareholder. BP has a ways to go to prove that they should be again in my portfolio.

[kjmcrae]

WestJet (TSX:WJA) announces dividend increase and normal course issuer bid

...a 20 per cent ($0.01) increase in its quarterly dividend per common voting share and variable voting share to $0.06 per quarter from $0.05 per quarter. The next quarterly dividend is payable on March 30, 2012 to shareholders of record on March 14, 2012.

[ThinkDividends]

Intact Financial (IFC) increased its quarterly dividend by 8% to $0.40 per share. This is Intact's 7th consecutive year of dividend growth.


LINK

[ThinkDividends]

Cisco Systems (CSCO) is increasing its dividend by 33% to $0.08 per quarter.


LINK

[DenisD]

Wyndham Surges 6.1% to Record After Fourth-Quarter Earnings Beat Estimates

Wyndham also raised its full-year adjusted-earnings forecast to $2.85 to $3 a share, up from its October estimate of $2.72 to $2.82, and boosted its quarterly dividend to 23 cents a share from 15 cents.

The company beat estimates because of a “resilient hospitality businesses and prudent deployment of its sizable free cash flow” into buying back shares, Joseph Greff, a New York-based analyst at JPMorgan Chase & Co., wrote in a note to investors today.

One of my US large caps.

[JaydoubleU]

Diageo (DEO)

Interim dividend increased by 7% to 16.60 pence per share

I'll drink to that

[JaydoubleU]

Thompson Reuters (TRI)

The board of directors approved a $0.04 per share increase in the annual dividend to $1.28 per share. A quarterly dividend of $0.32 per share is payable on March 15, 2012 to shareholders of record as of February 22, 2012. This dividend increase marks the 19th consecutive annual dividend increase by the company.

1.24 to 1.28? That's about 3%. Pretty lame.

[ThinkDividends]

Brookfield Infrastructure Partners (BIP) announced an increase in the annual distribution to a rate of US$1.50/unit (up from US$1.40), representing a 7% increase.

[kjmcrae]

Shoppers Drug Mart Corporation (TSX:SC) Reports Fourth Quarter Results

...dividend of 26.5 cents per common share, payable April 13, 2012 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on March 30, 2012. This represents an increase in the Company's quarterly dividend payments of 6.0%, resulting in an annualized dividend of $1.06 per common share.

[ThinkDividends]

Rio Tinto Increased Dividend by 34%



LINK

[Pickles]

Thompson Reuters (TRI)

The board of directors approved a $0.04 per share increase in the annual dividend to $1.28 per share. A quarterly dividend of $0.32 per share is payable on March 15, 2012 to shareholders of record as of February 22, 2012. This dividend increase marks the 19th consecutive annual dividend increase by the company.

1.24 to 1.28? That's about 3%. Pretty lame.

Did you have an expectation of a larger increase? You haven't posted any expectation on the forum. What factors do you consider when you judge it to be "lame"? While more diversified, TRI -- which has raised its dividend almost 10% since the end of 2008 -- is closely linked to the financial sector (where BMO and Sunlife haven't raised their dividend in years, MFC cut its dividend, BNS raised its dividend only 4.6% in the past 3 years, etc.)

[ThinkDividends]

Thompson Reuters (TRI)
1.24 to 1.28? That's about 3%. Pretty lame.

Did you have an expectation of a larger increase? You haven't posted any expectation on the forum. What factors do you consider when you judge it to be "lame"? While more diversified, TRI -- which has raised its dividend almost 10% since the end of 2008 -- is closely linked to the financial sector (where BMO and Sunlife haven't raised their dividend in years, MFC cut its dividend, BNS raised its dividend only 4.6% in the past 3 years, etc.)

Agree with Jay... Dividend growth since 1990 for TRI has averaged 5% per year... 2012 is a token increase just to keep their streak alive...

The problem with the typical large cap dividend stock is that it is difficult to have meaningful dividend growth without pushing the payout ratio up too high...

[Pickles]

Agree with Jay... Dividend growth since 1990 for TRI has averaged 5% per year... 2012 is a token increase just to keep their streak alive...

The problem with the typical large cap dividend stock is that it is difficult to have meaningful dividend growth without pushing the payout ratio up too high...

I'm not sure how TRI's 12 year dividend history compares to the banks and insurance companies but it looks like the latter's were based on financial activity that caused a worldwide crisis and required government intervention. Also, Canadian banks and insurance companies could not sustain their annual dividend increases during the crisis whereas Thomson-Reuters has. For a dividend investor, this slow growth is better than a cut or dividend increase for years.