Eight stocks with positive dividend momentum

A body in motion tends to stay in motion unless acted on by an outside force. The following dividend payers kept the dividend momentum coming, by raising distributions to shareholders. What is particularly interesting is the fact that most of them have raised distributions consistently for more than one or two decades each. This is essentially what successful dividend growth investing is all about – finding a dividend grower in the early stages that keeps paying increasing amounts of dividends each and every year for years to come.

The companies which raised distributions include:

McCormick & Company (MKC), which engages in the manufacture, marketing, and distribution of flavor products and other specialty food products to the food industry worldwide, increased its quarterly dividend by 8.30% to 26 cents per share. McCormick & Company is a dividend achiever, which has increased its quarterly dividend in each of the past twenty three years. The stock currently yields 2.60%.

The York Water Company (YORW), which engages in impounding, purifying, and distributing drinking water in Pennsylvania, increased its quarterly dividend by 1.60% to 12.80 cents per share. This marked the thirteenth consecutive year that this dividend achiever has raised its distributions. The stock currently yields 3.40%.

Hormel Foods Corp. (HRL), which engages in the production and marketing of various meat and food products in the United States and internationally, increased its quarterly dividend by 15% to 21 cents per share. Hormel Foods Corp. is a dividend champion, which has increased its quarterly dividend in each of the past forty-four years. The stock currently yields 2.00%.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (BDX), a medical technology company, which develops, manufactures, and sells medical supplies, devices, laboratory equipment, and diagnostic products worldwide, increased its quarterly dividend by 12.10% to 37 cents per share. Becton, Dickinson and Company is a dividend aristocrat, which has increased its quarterly dividend in each of the past thirty-seven years. The stock currently yields 1.70%.

United Bankshares, Inc. (UBSI), which provides commercial and retail banking services and products, increased its quarterly dividend by 3.4% to 30 cents per share. This marked the 36th consecutive year of dividend increases to United shareholders. The stock currently yields 6.70%.

Roper Industries, Inc. (ROP), which engages in designing, manufacturing, and distributing energy systems and controls, scientific and industrial imaging products and software, industrial technology products, and radio frequency products and services, raised its quarterly dividend by 15% to 9.5 cents per share. This is the seventeenth consecutive year of dividend increases for this dividend achiever. The stock currently yields 0.60%.

Oritani Financial Corp. (ORIT), which provides banking services to individual and business customers in New Jersey, increased its quarterly dividend by 50% to 7.5 cents per share. The stock currently yields 2.30%.

RGC Resources, Inc. (RGCO), which operates as an energy services company, increased its quarterly dividend by 3% to 33 cents per share. RGC Resources, Inc. has increased its quarterly dividend in each of the past five years. The stock currently yields 4.70%.

This list is only a starting point in the process of weeding out companies in the pursuit of identifying promising candidates however. As the market has gone ahead of itself in recent months, a wise move might be to wait for weakness in the broad averages before initiating a position in any of the above names, after researching them thoroughly.

Full Disclosure: None

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