If you’re looking at dividend stocks to add to your portfolio, you should prioritize ones that increase their payouts. As investors and consumers know all too well by now, inflation has the ability to chip away at purchasing power. For dividend stocks, it means the dividend you collect today will be less valuable in the future — unless the company increases it.
Dividend increases won’t always fully offset the effects of inflation, but by investing in businesses that strive to raise their payouts consistently, you can at least increase the odds that your dividend income will rise in the future.
Three stocks that have raised their dividend payments in recent years are Comcast (NASDAQ: CMCSA), Kimberly-Clark (NYSE: KMB), and Chevron (NYSE: CVX). And they could all announce another round of increases later this month.
1. Comcast
Telecom and media giant Comcast offers investors a dividend that yields 2.6% right now. It’s a higher payout than you would get with the average stock on the S&P 500, where the yield is just under 1.5%. In recent years, the company has also been increasing its payouts. And recent history suggests another dividend hike could be coming soon.
Last January, the company announced a 7% increase to its quarterly dividend payments. January is typically when Comcast has declared dividend hikes in the past. And with the company’s financials in solid shape, it appears probable that another increase could be announced soon.
In Comcast’s third-quarter results, which ended on Sept. 30, the company’s revenue grew by 0.9% to $30.1 billion, and its free cash flow rose by 19% to just over $4 billion. Comcast’s modest payout ratio, which sits at around 32% of earnings, suggests there could be room for another generous rate hike this month.
2. Kimberly-Clark
Kimberly-Clark sells many common household products that consumers use every day, including tissue paper, diapers, and feminine care products. It owns top brands, such as Cottonelle, Huggies, and Kleenex.
While Kimberly-Clark doesn’t make for a fast-growing business to invest in, it can make for a dependable stock to hang on to for the long haul. When it last reported earnings for the period ending Sept. 30, net sales totaled $5.1 billion and were growing at a modest rate of 2% year over year. But with stronger margins, the company’s operating profits were up by 18%.
Kimberly-Clark is a Dividend King and has increased its dividend payments for 51 consecutive years. While its rate hikes can be modest (the last one was just a $0.02 increase), they give investors some incentive to buy and hold for the long term. Today, the consumer goods stock yields 3.9%.
The consumer goods giant typically declares dividend increases in January, and given the company’s continued strong performance in 2023, it would be a shock if it didn’t announce another bump-up to its dividend later this month.
3. Chevron
Oil prices have been falling, and that’s not great news for a top oil and gas stock such as Chevron. But at more than $70/barrel, oil prices are relatively high and should be strong enough for the oil and gas producer to continue posting strong profits. Even if the gravy train of $100/barrel oil is gone for the foreseeable future, Chevron can still make for an excellent option for income investors.
Third-quarter earnings (which ended on Sept. 30) were down big for Chevron due to lower commodity prices as operating revenue of $51.9 billion declined by 18%. But the silver lining is that even amid the worse results, the company’s diluted per-share profit was $3.48 for the quarter — that’s still more than double the $1.51 that Chevron pays in dividends every quarter.
The stock’s 4% dividend yield still looks safe. It would be surprising if the company didn’t increase its payouts in January. It was on Jan. 25, 2023, that Chevron last announced it would be increasing its dividend by 6%. It marked the 36th consecutive year the company’s annual dividend has increased. And it’s highly likely that streak extends to 37 years in 2024.
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David Jagielski has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Chevron and Comcast. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
3 Dividend Stocks That Could Raise Their Payouts in January was originally published by The Motley Fool