Dividend Challengers (And Near-Challengers): 51 Increases Expected By May 30

In compiling the Dividend Champions list 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. I have separated the Champions (25 or more years of higher dividends), Contenders (10-24 years), and Challengers (5-9 years) into distinct groupings, so please look for the other articles, which I hope will be published about the same time. Note that "CCC" refers to the combination of Champions, Contenders, and Challengers.Shareholder Meetings Season ArrivesThe pace of dividend increases picked up dramatically in February and March, led by companies that typically boost their payouts after reporting fourth-quarter (and year-end) results. As you can see in the table below, that pace may ease a bit in April and pick up in May, when most companies typically boost the dividend during the annual shareholder meeting "season." Adding to the breadth of the strong trend are the many companies that are now reaching five straight years of dividend growth.The table below coincides with the usual "forward look" of about 11 weeks for this article. 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 Challengers (5-9 years):... Read more