Below is a list of companies in Canada and the United States that have increased their dividends in the month of September.
The companies we list are not the complete list of companies that have increased their dividends in Canada and the United States or the rest of the world however, they are companies we follow or own.
Canadian Companies
| Company | Previous ($) | New ($) | Change (%) |
| Alimentation Couche-Tard | 0.070 | 0.0875 | 25.00 |
| Canadian Apartment Properties REIT | 0.115 | 0.121 | 5.07 |
| Fortis | 0.505 | 0.535 | 5.94 |
| Ritchie Bros Auctioneers Inc. | 0.220 | 0.250 | 13.64 |
US Companies
| Company | Previous ($) | New ($) | Change (%) |
| Cracker Barrel Old Country Store | 1.00 | 1.30 | 30.00 |
| JPMorgan Chase & Co | 0.90 | 1.00 | 11.11 |
| Lockheed Martin Corp | 2.60 | 2.80 | 7.69 |
| McDonald’s Corp | 1.29 | 1.38 | 6.98 |
| Microsoft Corp | 0.560 | 0.62 | 10.71 |
| Starbucks Corp | 0.450 | 0.490 | 8.89 |
| Verizon Communications Inc. | 0.628 | 0.640 | 1.99 |
The dollar value listed per share represents a quarterly dividend payment.
Information was obtained from the companies directly.
History of Fortis Inc.
Fortis Inc. recently just announced that they were increasing their quarterly dividend from $0.505 to $0.535. They have increased their dividend payment to common shareholders every year for 48 consecutive years.
Fortis Inc. is a diversified electric and gas utility holding company. Their mission is to deliver safe, reliable, and cost-effective energy to homes and businesses throughout North America. To date, Fortis Inc. supplies energy to approximately 3.4 million utility customers.
The corporation originated from the St. John’s Electric Light Company in 1885 in the province now known as Newfoundland and Labrador. They began their electric light business just six years after Thomas Edison invented the light bulb.
St. John’s Electric Light Company eventually became Newfoundland Light & Power Co. Limited. In July 1949, Newfoundland Light & Power had 1,600 common shareholders.
In 1987, the shareholders of Newfoundland Light and Power Company Limited voted to create a holding company known as Fortis Inc. to own 100% of the utility. Their hope in creating the holding company was to expand and diversify.
On December 29, 1987, each Newfoundland Light & Power Co. Limited common share was exchanged for one common share of Fortis Inc.
In 1990, Fortis made its first utility investment outside Newfoundland with the purchase of a 33% interest in Maritime Electric Company, Limited. Since the start of their expansion, they have grown substantially. Fortis Inc. is now an international electric and gas utility holding company with subsidiaries across Canada and in the Caribbean. The company now has a market cap (the market value of the company’s outstanding shares of stock) of $26,325,000,000.
Fortis Inc. has an extensive history and was a contributor to the industrialization of Canada. Alongside their tremendous growth, they have steadily paid and increased their dividend, which is an indicator of a wonderful company.
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