Halliburton (HAL) Declares $0.09 Quarterly Dividend; 1.1% Yield

Halliburton (NYSE: HAL) announced that its board of directors has declared a 2010 fourth quarter dividend of $0.09 a share on the company's common stock, $0.36 annualized. The dividend is payable December 23, 2010, to shareholders of record at the close of business on December 3, 2010. The ex-dividend date is December 1, 2010. Yield on the dividend is 1.1%.... more

3M (MMM) Declares $0.525 Quarterly Dividend; 2.5% Yield

3M (NYSE: MMM) today declared a dividend on the company's common stock of $0.525 per share, $2.10 annualized. The dividend is payable December 12, 2010, to shareholders of record at the close of business on November 19, 2010. The ex-dividend date is November 17, 2010. Yield on the dividend is 2.5%.... more

Estée Lauder (EL) Increases Dividend 36% to $0.75

The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. (NYSE: EL) declares an annual dividend of $0.75 per Class A common share. The dividend is a 36% increase over the current rate of $0.55. The dividend is payable on December 15, 2010 to stockholders of record at the close of business on November 29, 2010. The ex-dividend date is November 25, 2010.... more

Art's Way (ARTW) Declares $0.06 Annual Dividend

Art's Way Manufacturing Co., Inc., (Nasdaq: ARTW) declares an annualized dividend of $0.06 per common share. The dividend is payable on November 30, 2010, to shareholders of record on November 12, 2010. The ex-dividend date is November 10, 2010. The dividend is unchanged from 2009.... more

21 Utilities Yielding More Than 4.5%, Raising the Dividend

I received so much positive feedback on a recent look at obscure REITs that I decided to take a look at Utilities. Clearly investors are interested in finding alternatives to low-yielding fixed-income securities. While I continue to think that the best long-term answer is to invest in conservative and well-capitalized companies that can actually grow their dividends at a faster rate and are cheaper on a PE basis (and less leveraged financially), I understand why investors like REITs, MLPs and, as I address today, Utilities. Before I share my results of a screen I run, I want to remind readers that I shared my favorable view on the sector in March. Regulated Utilities have several risks, but they tend to be able to overcome them and ultimately pass their mistakes on to the users rather... more

Columbia Sportswear (COLM) Announces Special $1.50/Sh Special Dividend

Columbia Sportswear Company (Nasdaq: COLM) approved a special cash dividend of $1.50 per share, payable on December 6, 2010 to shareholders of record on November 22, 2010. The company cited its strong balance sheet, with over $230 million in cash at September 30, 2010 and zero long-term debt.... more

3 Reits Paying Out Large Dividends

You may have noticed that interest rates may be lower than normal on savings accounts, certificates of deposits, and bonds. Finding a high yield has gotten tougher than ever. Despite this challenge, there are some investments that are paying out large dividend payments to investors. Here are 3 stocks that are great for income seeking investors.... more

Cohen & Company (COHN) Posts Q3 adj.-EPS of $0.42, Tops Views; Declares $0.05 Quarterly Dividend; 3.8% Yield

Cohen & Company Inc. (AMEX: COHN) reports Q3 adjusted EPS of $0.42, versus $0.22 reported for the same period a year ago. Revenue for the quarter was $23.1 million, compared to $24.57 million in Q309. The Company’s Board of Directors has declared a dividend of $0.05 per share, $0.20 annualized. The dividend will be payable to shareholders of record on November 19, 2010 and will be payable on December 1, 2010. The ex-dividend date is November 29, 2010. Yield on the dividend is 3.8%.... more

Dividend Contenders Smackdown (Part 5½)

In previous installments of the Smackdown series, I screened the Dividend Champions list of companies that have paid higher dividends for at least 25 straight years (which can be found here) using fundamental factors that are important to dividend-oriented investors. I also hinted that I might perform the same screens on the listing of Dividend Contenders, which is composed of companies that have paid higher dividends for 10-24 years. This group represents the Champions of the future, so investing in them now may be a wise choice. (As always, it's also important to screen for other positive qualities before choosing any investment.) So I screened the October 29 update, first eliminating companies that have not increased their dividend for over a year (and any that are being acquired),... more

Nelnet (NNI) Posts Q3 EPS of $1.11, Ex-Items, Tops Views; Reinstates Quarterly Dividend at $0.07

Nelnet (NYSE: NNI) reports Q3 EPS of $1.11, ex-items, 9 cents better than the consensus of $1.02. The Nelnet Board of Directors declared a fourth-quarter cash dividend on its outstanding shares of Class A common stock of $0.49 per share. The dividend consists of a quarterly dividend of $0.07 per share, and an additional $0.42 per share representing $0.07 per share for each of the six quarters in 2008 and 2009 during which the company had suspended dividend payments to preserve capital during a volatile period in the market. Nelnet currently anticipates paying a quarterly dividend of $0.07 per share in future periods. The dividend will be paid on December 15, 2010, to shareholders of record at the close of business on December 1, 2010.... more