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5 Stocks in Focus That Recently Hiked Their Dividends

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U.S. stocks have maintained their northbound journey in August after completing an astonishing bull run in July. The consumer price index (CPI) for July dropped to 8.5% from 9.1% in June and came in below the consensus estimate of 8.7%. The core CPI (excluding volatile food and energy items) rose 5.9% compared with the consensus estimate of 6.1%.

However, we are not out of the woods. Despite the drop in the inflation rate, July’s data is well ahead of the Fed’s targeted mark of 2%. The central bank has decided to pursue aggressive monetary stances of a rigorous interest rate hike and reduction in the size of its balance sheet to combat high inflation.

Moreover, the geopolitical conflict between Russia and Ukraine is yet to be resolved and a new conflict is emerging between China and Taiwan after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the latter. Escalation of this conflict will create a massive problem for the global economy.

At this stage, investors should remain cautious and stay invested in dividend-paying stocks to safeguard their portfolios. In this respect, investors should consider stocks that have recently raised their dividend payments. Five such companies are - H&R Block Inc. (HRB - Free Report) , Chemed Corp. (CHE - Free Report) , Suncor Energy Inc. (SU - Free Report) , Open Text Corp. (OTEX - Free Report) and Essent Group Ltd. (ESNT - Free Report) .

H&R Block is a leading provider of tax preparation services. HRB provides assisted income tax return preparation, do-it-yourself tax solutions and other products and services associated with income tax return preparation in the United States, Canada and Australia. The company carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

On Aug 9, 2022, H&R Block declared that its shareholders would receive a dividend of $0.29 per share on Oct 3, 2022. HRB has a dividend yield of 2.94%. Over the past 5 years, HRB has increased its dividend three times, and its payout ratio presently stays at 29% of earnings. Check HRB’s dividend history here.

H&R Block, Inc. Dividend Yield (TTM)

H&R Block, Inc. Dividend Yield (TTM)

H&R Block, Inc. dividend-yield-ttm | H&R Block, Inc. Quote

 

 

Chemed purchases, operates and divests subsidiaries engaged in diverse business activities. CHE’s operating businesses are managed on a decentralized basis. Since its inception, Chemed has engaged in 12 significant acquisitions or divestitures of diverse business units. The company carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

On Aug 5, 2022, Chemed declared that its shareholders would receive a dividend of $0.38 per share on Sep 2, 2022. CHE has a dividend yield of 0.30%. Over the past 5 years, CHE has increased its dividend five times, and its payout ratio presently stays at 7% of earnings. Check CHE’s dividend history here.

Chemed Corporation Dividend Yield (TTM)

Chemed Corporation Dividend Yield (TTM)

Chemed Corporation dividend-yield-ttm | Chemed Corporation Quote

Suncor Energy is Canada's premier integrated energy company. SU’s operations include oil sands development and upgrading, conventional and offshore crude oil and gas production, petroleum refining, and product marketing. Suncor Energy is one of the largest owners of oil sands in the world. The company carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

On Aug 8, 2022, Suncor Energy declared that its shareholders would receive a dividend of $0.3656 per share on Sep 26, 2022. SU has a dividend yield of 4.80%. Over the past 5 years, SU has increased its dividend 13 times, and its payout ratio presently stays at 30% of earnings. Check SU’s dividend history here.

Suncor Energy Inc. Dividend Yield (TTM)

Suncor Energy  Inc. Dividend Yield (TTM)

Suncor Energy Inc. dividend-yield-ttm | Suncor Energy Inc. Quote

Open Text is engaged in the development of innovative intranet, extranet and e-business applications. Since creating one of the first search engines to index the World Wide Web, OTEX has remained at the forefront of Internet-based technologies. Open Text enables individuals, organizations, and global trading communities to collaborate on projects, share ideas and accelerate innovation. The company carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

On Aug 8, 2022, Open Text declared that its shareholders would receive a dividend of $0.243 per share on Sep 23, 2022. OTEX has a dividend yield of 2.30%. Over the past 5 years, OTEX has increased its dividend five times, and its payout ratio presently stays at 29% of earnings. Check OTEX’s dividend history here.

Essent Group operates as a private mortgage insurance company. ESNT serves originators of residential mortgage loans, such as regulated depository institutions, mortgage banks, credit unions, and other lenders. The company carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

On Aug 5, 2022, Essent Group declared that its shareholders would receive a dividend of $0.22 per share on Sep 12, 2022. ESNT has a dividend yield of 2.05%. Over the past 5 years, ESNT has increased its dividend seven times, and its payout ratio presently stays at 10% of earnings. Check ESNT’s dividend history here.

Essent Group Ltd. Dividend Yield (TTM)

Essent Group Ltd. Dividend Yield (TTM)

Essent Group Ltd. dividend-yield-ttm | Essent Group Ltd. Quote

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