Canadian Dividend All-Stars: 2017 In Review

Happy 2018 everyone! In February of last year I began my weekly coverage of Canadian Dividend All-Stars. Canadian Dividend All-Stars are Canadian stocks listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange that have raised their dividends for at minimum, five consecutive years. My series focused on anticipating upcoming dividend increases and subsequently estimating the amount of the increase. Typically, I would base my estimates on historical data along with current events and with 2017 in the rear-view mirror, let’s take a look at how the year panned out.
ACCURATE ESTIMATES
As mentioned previously, I rely primarily on historical data to anticipate the timing of expected increases and the amount of the dividend increase. I'm happy to report that the results were fairly accurate. Of those expected to raise dividends, 93% came through with a dividend raise, while only 7% failed to announce an increase in 2017. Of note, it became apparent throughout the year that relying on one source for dividend information was not ideal as there were a few times when dividend dates were in conflict or missed and when historical dividend information was incorrect. As the year progressed, I began cross-referencing three different sources for dividend declaration dates and historical dividend trends. Unfortunately, not all companies have comprehensive investor websites that contain this information.
Likewise, my dividend raise estimates also proved to be fairly accurate. Of those that raised... Read more