Companies Going Ex-Dividend Thursday Of Next Week

Summary
Graco continues to perform well in a challenging operating environment.
Average dividend amount of $0.37.
Hormel Foods continues to capitalize on favorable demographic growth.
For those needing a quick primer on the what "going Ex-Dividend" means, Dividend.com defines it as:
"The day on which all shares bought and sold no longer come attached with the right to be paid the most recently declared dividend."
In the most simplistic form, if you buy the dividend-paying stock before its ex-dividend date, you will receive the very next dividend payment while buying the same stock after the ex-dividend date will require you to wait until for the next dividend to be paid.

Acuity Brands, Inc (NYSE: AYI):
AYI reported its fourth quarter financial results on October 7, 2015 with net revenues increasing 13.5% to $758.5 million from $668.7 million in the same period last year. Cost of goods sold were kept reasonably in check, leading to a gross profit of $321.3 million, up from $283.5 million in the same period last year. SG&A expenses saw a moderate increase of $14.1 million, leading to an increase in costs to $206.9 million from $192.8 million. All in total, solid operating results lead to a 23.2% increase in operating profit to $111.8 million from $90.7 million this time last year. Reduced interest expenses were mildly offset by a heightened provision of income taxes leading to a moderate gain in net income to $60.1 million from... Read more