Below is a list of companies in Canada and the United States that have increased their dividends in the month of January.
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 (%) |
| Canadian National Railway | 0.6150 | 0.7330 | 19.19 |
| Canadian Utilities | 0.4350 | 0.4440 | 2.07 |
| Metro | 0.25 | 0.2750 | 10.00 |
US Companies
| Company | Previous ($) | New ($) | Change (%) |
| Chevron | 1.34 | 1.42 | 5.97 |
| Church & Dwight | 0.2525 | 0.2625 | 3.96 |
| Comcast | 0.25 | 0.27 | 8.00 |
| Intel | 0.3475 | 0.3650 | 5.04 |
| Kimberly-Clark | 1.14 | 1.16 | 1.75 |
| Tractor Supply | 0.52 | 0.92 | 76.92 |
| Walgreens Boots Alliance | 0.47 | 0.48 | 2.13 |
| Wells Fargo & Company | 0.20 | 0.25 | 25.00 |
| Weyerhaeuser | 0.50 | 1.45 | 190.00 |
The dollar value listed per share represents a quarterly dividend payment.
Information was obtained from the companies directly.
History of Metro
METRO is a Canadian food retailer that has been around since 1947. The company has over 950 food stores in Ontario and Quebec under several banners including Metro, Metro Plus, Super C, and Food Basics. METRO recently increased their quarterly dividend by 10% from $0.25 to $0.2750, which totals to an annual dividend of $1.10. METRO has increased their annual dividend for over 25 consecutive years.
In 1947, a buying group called Magasins Lasalle Stores Itée was formed by a few independent grocery retailers to be able to offer its customers products at comparable prices to those of major food chains. 25 years later, the company became Marchés d’Aliments Metro Itée and the first stores were created that offered the supermarket concept.
In November 1986, the initial public offering for Metro-Richelieu was launched. This was a year after the shareholders of Groupe des Épiciers Unis Metro-Richelieu Inc. agreed to convert their advances into capital stock. The company that we now know today as METRO Inc., has annual sales of $18 billion of food, health, beauty, household products, and more. The company provides jobs to over 90,000 people at their points of sale and distribution centres. METRO Inc. is the largest private employer in Quebec.
METRO provides services and products that we need in our everyday lives. The company continues to grow through acquisitions, mergers, and innovations. In 2018, METRO acquired The Jean Coutu Group which is a Canadian drugstore chain that has over 400 franchised locations. This acquisition allowed METRO to continue to cater to the growing needs of their consumers.
Alongside the growth of the company, they have also been able to consistently increase their revenue. This allows METRO to continue to reward their shareholders with growing dividends. As companies increase their dividends, the shareholders’ income increases which allows us to live life the way we want to.
2021 RRSP Contribution Deadline
This is a friendly reminder that the 2021 RRSP contribution deadline is Tuesday, March 1st. The contribution limit for 2021 is 18% of your earned income in the previous year up to a maximum of $27,830. RRSP contribution room is cumulative so if you haven’t made your full contribution room in past you can carry forward the unused contribution room to this year.
Contributing to an RRSP provides wonderful tax benefits. Your contributions are tax deductible and your investments within your RRSP can grow tax-deferred. This means you do not have to pay tax on those investments until you start withdrawing the funds. Ideally, when you start to withdraw funds from your RRSP in your later years, you will be in a lower tax bracket thus, reducing the amount of taxes you pay over time.