United we stand when dividends don't fall. Higher payouts from companies are often indicative of entities that are improving. It's why a higher distribution means more than just a little money in your pocket -- though that is certainly welcome, too.
Let's take a closer look at four of the companies that inched their payouts higher this past week.
We'll start with Wal-Mart
Yes, that's right, the company that Sam Walton built is at it again. The company will now be paying shareowners $0.1675 per share every quarter, up 11.7% from last year's $0.15-per-share rate. It's just another way for the company to woo value and income investors, since a stagnant share price (despite the perpetual upticks in earnings and payouts) means lower P/E ratios and higher yields, respectively.
Higher dividends? Yeah, we've got that. Office supply superstore chain Staples
What the new 0.9% yield does do, though, is distance the company further from rival Office Depot
Recreational vehicle specialist Thor Industries
Then we have Chubb
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? Go ahead and 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.
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. Rick is also part of the Rule Breakers newsletter research team, seeking out tomorrow's ultimate growth stocks a day early.