Papa John’s is increasing its annual dividend by 56% to $1.40 a share, or 35 cents a share for the third quarter.
Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg
Dover, Simon Property Group, and Papa John’s International were among the many U.S. companies that announced dividend increases this week.
Manufacturing company Dover (ticker: DOV) plans to boost its quarterly payout to 50 cents a share, up by half a cent, or 1%. The stock, which yields 1.2%, has returned about 35% this year, dividends included, through Aug. 5, compared with 19% for the S&P 500.
Simon Property Group (SPG), which owns a portfolio of regional malls and outlets around the country, declared a quarterly disbursement of $1.50 a share, a 7% boost from $1.40 a share. The real estate investment trust shares, which have returned about 61% this year, yield 4.5%.
Papa John’s International (PZZA) is increasing its annual dividend by 56% to $1.40 a share, or 35 cents a share for the third quarter. It quarterly dividend currently at 22.5 cents a share. The stock yields 1.2%, and it has returned 42% in 2021.
Semiconductor company KLA (KLAC) declared a quarterly disbursement of $1.05 a share, up from 90 cents, for an increase of nearly 17%. The stock, which has returned about 37% year to date, yields 1.2%.
Global Payments (GPN) plans to boost its quarterly payout to 25 cents a share from 19.5 cents for a 28% increase. The stock yields 0.6%, and its return this year is about minus 20% as of Aug. 5.
Diamondback Energy (FANG) said it plans to increase its annual dividend by 12.5% to $1.80 cents a share and that it declared a second-quarter payout of 45 cents a share, up from 40 cents.
The company, based in Midland, Texas, focuses on exploring, acquiring, and developing oil and natural gas reserves. The stock, which yields 2.2%, has returned about 67% this year.
International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF) plans to boost its dividend by 2 cents, or 2.6%, to 79 cents a share. The stock, which has returned about 38% this year, yields 2.1%.
Federal Realty Investment Trust (FRT), which owns high-quality retail and mix-use properties primarily in densely populated communities, declared a quarterly dividend of $1.07 a share, up by a penny. That’s an increase of nearly 1%.
The company operates as a REIT, meaning that it is required to pay out at least 90% of its taxable income to shareholders in dividends. The stock, which yields 3.5%, has returned about 45% in 2021.
Willis Towers Watson (WLTW) said it will boost its quarterly dividend to 80 cents a share from 71 cents. That’s an increase of nearly 13%. The stock has returned about 4% this year, and it yields 1.3%.
Medical equipment and software company ResMed (RMD) declared a quarterly payout of 42 cents a share, versus 39 cents currently, for an increase of nearly 8%. The stock, which yields 0.6%, has returned about 26% this year.
In other news, Micron Technology (MU) said on Aug. 2 that it plans to initiate a quarterly dividend of 10 cents a share “with the goal of growing this dividend over time,” CFO David Zinser said during an investor update call on Aug. 2.
That move, he added, reflects “our confidence in the cash flow generation of our business.” The first quarterly disbursement is payable on Oct. 18 to shareholders of record as of Oct. 1. The stock has returned about 8% this year.
Write to Lawrence C. Strauss at [email protected]
