Dividend Challengers (And Near-Challengers): 54 Increases Expected By May 31

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.
Keeping Shareholders Happy Although we have passed the busiest time of year for dividend increases - which are most numerous from just before Groundhog Day to early March - there are still quite a few to come in the next couple of months. That’s no surprise, since corporations are anxious to deliver good news to shareholders prior to the annual shareholder meetings, which typically come in April and May. The number of announcements for all Champions, Contenders, Challengers, and Near-Challengers expected in the next 11 weeks is 85, down from 136 last month and a staggering 221 a month earlier. What’s different this year is that companies are announcing larger increases and often sooner than expected…boosting the payout just six or nine months after the last raise. After the annual shareholder meetings, we’ll experience the usual Summer... Read more