9 Companies Increasing Dividends

After last week's virtual drought of company's increasing dividends, this
week we saw a bevy of high-profile firms upping their payouts. Some of the
biggest names in a variety of sectors such as technology, tobacco and food all
enhanced their relationship with shareholders. And despite a volatile stock
market, concerns over a slowdown in the U.S. economy and the fiscal woes in
Europe, many of the world's biggest companies continue spreading the wealth to
shareholders. In fact, so far this year, there have been 248 dividend increases
or dividend introductions by companies in the S&P 500, according to Standard &
Poor's. For all of last year, only 256 companies increased or introduced
dividends. So for dividend hounds, it's been a very good year indeed. Here are
nine companies increasing dividends this week. Alexandria Real Estate Equities
(NYSE: ARE ) is a real estate investment trust (REIT) that owns and operates
properties for the life sciences industry. This week, the company went into its
fiscal laboratory and mixed about a 4% dividend increase. The new dividend of 47
cents per share is payable Oct. 17 to shareholders of record as of Sept. 30. The
new dividend yield, based on the closing price on Sept. 14 of $68.14 (the day
the dividend was declared), is 2.76%. Cracker Barrel Old Country Store (NASDAQ:
CBRL ) served up a down-home plate of freshly baked dividends, upping its payout
by a tasty 14% to 25 cents per share. The new dividend will be payable on Nov. 7
to shareholders of record as of Oct. 21. The company's board also approved a
new $65 million share buyback plan. The new dividend yield, based on the Sept.
13 closing price of $40.56, is 2.47%. The dividend increase came despite a
decline in the company's fiscal fourth-quarter profits of 36%. Cracker Barrel
also provided lower-than-expected earnings outlook for the full year. Danaher
Corp. (NYSE: DHR ) makes commercial test and diagnostic instruments, and this
week it made a positive diagnosis for shareholders by increasing its dividend
payout by 25%. The new quarterly dividend of 2.5 cents per share is payable Oct.
28 to shareholders of record on Sept. 30. The new dividend yield, based on the
Sept. 13 closing stock price of $44.17, is 0.23%. DDR (NYSE: DDR ) is a REIT
that owns and manages more than 500 open-air shopping centers. Apparently,
business is good at those locations, because DDR was able to raise its quarterly
dividend by 50%. The new dividend is payable Oct. 11 to shareholders of record
on Sept, 27. The new dividend yield, based on the Sept. 14 closing stock price
of $11.40, is 2.11%. In addition to the change the company made in its dividend
this week, it also decided to shorten its official name. DDR formerly was known
as Developers Diversified Realty Corp.