* Coca-Cola: A Real Dividend Aristrocrat

Coca-Cola (KO) is the real thing in more than one way. KO was the King of Pop, long before Michael Jackson was born and after raising its quarterly dividend 8% to $0.41 per common share KO can wear its aristocrat crown another year. The dividend is payable April 1, 2009, to shareowners of record as of March 15, 2009. After the announcement, shares of KO were yielding over 3.5%. This is the 47th consecutive year KO has raised its dividend. Linked here is my most recent analysis of KO.

Integrys Energy Group, Inc. (TEG), an electric and natural gas utility holding company, showed this week it has the power to light up dividend investors with its 51st annual dividend increase. On Tuesday, TEG increased its quarterly dividend $0.01 to $0.68 per share. The dividend is payable on March 20, 2009, to shareholders of record February 27, 2009. At the new rate TEG is yielding around 6.5%. Linked here is my most recent analysis of TEG.

With the decline in construction, it is no secret that companies like Sherwin-Williams (SHW) are challenged. That makes their recent $0.005 increase in their quarterly dividend all the more impressive. The dividend is payable on March 13, 2009 to shareholders of record on February 27, 2009. The dividend yield on SHW shares is over 3%. This is the 31st consecutive year SHW has raised its dividend. Linked here is my most recent analysis of SHW.

Other companies looking to join the elite ranks by increasing their dividends include:

• FPL Group (FPL) Raises Qtr. Dividend by 6.2% to $0.4725/share (yield 3.80%)
• Public Service Enterprise Group (PEG) Increases Qtr. Dividend by 3.1% (yield 4.52%)
• XTO Energy (XTO) Bumps its Qtr. Dividend to $0.125/share (yield 1.55%)
• Comcast (CMCSA) Boosts Qtr. Dividend 8% to $0.0675/share (yield 2.06%)
• Rogers Communications (RCI) Raises Qtr Dividend to $0.29/share (yield 3.22%)
  
• Albemarle (ALB) Increases Qtr. Dividend by 4.2% to $0.125/share (yielding 2.39%)
• RenaissanceRe (RNR) Bumps Qtr. Dividend by $0.01 to $0.24/share (yielding 2.12%)
• SCANA Corporation (SCG) Boosts Quarterly Dividend by 2% (yield 5.89%)
  

For more companies around the world with a long string of consecutive dividend increases, see Dividends Value's Stock Ideas page.

Full Disclosure: Long KO, TEG


(Photo: Steve Woods)

Tags: [ALB] [CMCSA] [FPL] [KO] [PEG] [RCI] [RNR] [SCG] [SHW] [TEG] [XTO]