Not every company is slashing its dividend these days. Some of the market's better performers are easing up on their purse strings and sending more money out to their shareholders. So let's take a closer look at some of the companies that inched their payouts higher this past week.

We can start with J & J Snack Foods (NASDAQ:JJSF). The company behind Icee slushies, Superpretzel microwaveable pretzels, and Whole Fruit sorbets is sweetening its quarterly dividend by 10%, to $0.1075 a share.

Western Union (NYSE:WU) is also on the move. The company knows a thing or two about sending money, and now it's jacking up its distributions by 50%. Shareholders will now receive $0.06 a share every three months. Western Union also announced a $1 billion share-buyback program, drumming up yet another way to return money to its investors.

Owning Valspar (NYSE:VAL) isn't like watching paint dry. The paint and coatings specialist is brushing up its quarterly payouts by 7%, to $0.16 a share. Valspar earned an adjusted $1.77 per share for its recently concluded fiscal 2009, so it can definitely cover the hike.

Finally, we have Edison International (NYSE:EIX) powering up its disbursements. The parent of Southern California Edison electric utility is energizing its quarterly dividend by 2%, to $0.315 a share.

Some of these moves may not seem like much, but consider the companies going the other way. Equity One (NYSE:EQY) and Peoples Financial recently slashed their dividends.

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Western Union is a Motley Fool Stock Advisor and Motley Fool Inside Value selection. Motley Fool Options has recommended writing puts on Western Union. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services, free for 30 days.

Longtime Fool contributor Rick Munarriz pays attention to yield signs. He does not own shares in any of the companies in this story. He is also part of the Rule Breakers newsletter research team, seeking out tomorrow's ultimate growth stocks a day early. The Fool has a disclosure policy.