9 Stocks Increasing Dividends Last Week

Stock dividend information this week was led by networking products giant Cisco
Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO) .  The belle of the ball during the 1990s dot-com
boom, Cisco stock went from 9 cents a share to over $77 a share (nearly
86,000%!) but CSCO didn't budge when it came to paying a dividend. Now more
than a decade since the dot-com bust, and with the shares trading at a 52-week
low, the "Cisco Kid" has finally decided to spread the wealth. This dividend
payout is way overdue for Cisco , but as the old adage goes better late than
never. Of course, Cisco wasn't the only company making payout headlines. Here
are the details on CSCO and eight other stocks increasing dividends last week.
First, the specifics on Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO ). Last week the company announced
its first-ever payout, declaring a quarterly cash dividend of 6 cents per share.
The dividend will be payable on April 20 to shareholders of record as of March
31. Based on recent pricing around $17, Cisco's dividend payout represents an
annual yield of 1.4%. Cisco CEO Frank Calderoni commented on the move saying,
"As the role of the network expands across the IT sector, Cisco's leadership
position in the markets we serve is strong, and the time is right for Cisco
stock to pay our first-ever cash dividend. This dividend complements our leading
position, and is an important part of our commitment to bring value to
shareholders." Related Article: 3 Pros & 3 Cons of Cisco Stock Hewlett-Packard
Co. (NYSE: HPQ ) is another tech stock making dividend ways. HP's announcement
that it will raise its dividend for the first time in over a decade. The new
payout is a whopping 50% increase in the amount of its regular quarterly
dividend to 12 cents per share. The increase in the amount of the dividend will
be effective when the HP board of directors declares its next dividend, which is
expected in May. The company's previously announced dividend, payable on April
6 for stockholders of record on March 16, will not be increased and will remain
at 8 cents per share. HP made the announcement as part of its "strategy day"
meeting between CEO Leo Apotheker and Wall Street analysts. HP intends to go to
the "public cloud," by selling services over the Internet that allow people
to rent space on servers and to run websites. Air Products & Chemicals (NYSE:
APD ) also increased its dividend. Air Productsis a leader in the industrial gas
industry, and its products are used in a variety of applications including
medical devices. Last month, APD scrapped plans to buy rival Airgas Inc. (NYSE:
ARG ), so instead it has used its cash to increase dividends and repurchase
shares. The new quarterly dividend of 58 cents represents an 18% increase over
the current payout. The dividend will be paid on May 9 to shareholders of record
on April 1. APD has repurchased about $350 million worth of shares so far this
year. Ashland, Inc. (NYSE: ASH ) increased its dividend too. The specialty
chemicals company announced that it would increase its annual dividend to 70
cents per share from its current annual rate of 60 cents per share beginning
with the June 15 dividend payout. The company also said its board approved a
$400 million stock repurchase program.