There's something special about a company increasing its dividend. It's not just that a hike puts more money in shareholders' pockets. It's also a sign that a company feels upbeat enough to go easy on those purse strings. If the trend continues, the improving fundamentals may very well send the shares higher.
Let's take a closer look at four of the companies that inched their payouts higher this past week.
Carnival
Charles Schwab
Microchip Technology
Speaking of consistent hikes, Alltel
Subscribers to our Income Investor newsletter can appreciate the companies sending more and more money to their investors. Analyst Mathew Emmert has often singled out companies that are committed to growing their distributions with market-thumping results.
Want to see what Mathew likes these days? Give his newsletter service a shot with a 30-day trial subscription. Who knows? Maybe the next thing that will get hiked will be your interest.
Charles Schwab is a Motley Fool Stock Advisor recommendation.
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Longtime Fool contributor Rick Munarriz pays attention to yield signs. He does not own shares in any of the companies mentioned in this story. The Fool has a disclosure policy. He is also part of theRule Breakersnewsletter research team, seeking out tomorrow's ultimate growth stocks a day early.