Dividend Challengers And Near-Challengers: 34 Increases Expected In The Next 11 Weeks

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.Summer Lull ContinuesThe much slower stream of dividend increase announcements that I mentioned last month has continued during June and will be with us for another month or two, when fewer payouts are boosted. But the number of such announcements for all Champions, Contenders, Challengers, and Near-Challengers expected by the end of August has increased to 72 from just 54 expected by the end of July, still well below the 100 or more in prior months. The pace should pick up again in the Fall and typically reaches a peak in the fourth and first quarters.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