Below is a list of companies in the United States that have increased their dividends in the month of October.
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.
US Companies
| Company | Previous ($) | New ($) | Change (%) |
| McDonald’s | 1.38 | 1.52 | 10.10 |
| Visa | 0.375 | 0.45 | 20.00 |
The dollar value listed per share represents a quarterly dividend payment.
Information was obtained from the companies directly.
History of Visa
Visa recently increased their quarterly dividend by 20% from $0.375 to $0.45. With this dividend increase, Visa now pays an annual dividend of $1.80 to their shareholders. The company has been paying a consistent and growing dividend for fourteen years since 2008, when it became public.
Visa has had a tremendous impact on the way the world facilitates payments. In 1958, Bank of America launched the BankAmericard which was the first consumer credit card program in the US and it was the first card to have a “revolving credit” feature. Revolving credit allows customers to have flexible and continuous access to money up to a credit limit that is established through an agreement while repaying the balance with regular payments. The initial credit card was in the form of a paper card with a $300 limit.
In 1976, BankAmericard became Visa. A fun fact is that Visa is pronounced the same way in all languages. In 2007, Visa formed a global corporation and officially became Visa Inc. Shortly thereafter in 2008, Visa became the largest initial public offering in U.S. history and started trading on the N.Y. Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol “V.”
Payment cards and electronic payments have helped stimulate economic growth in countries. Based on a recent study by Moody’s Analytics, commissioned by Visa, payment cards have increased consumption which has led to an increase in production, jobs, income, and GDP.
Visa now provides services to consumers in more than 200 countries and territories. There are over 3.6 billion visa cards (as of December 31st, 2020), 206 billion payment transactions (as of March 31st, 2021), and over 70 million merchant locations around the world. During COVID-19, Visa was able to provide a contactless, safe, and secure solution for payments. The company has continued to evolve and provide consumers with payment solutions on a variety of devices including cards, laptops, tablets, and mobile devices.
Payment transactions are an essential part of our daily life. Visa provides a service that we need by delivering a stable and secure form of payment. The company’s net revenues for 2022 were $29.3 billion which is an increase of 24% on a constant-dollar basis. With their essential service and their growing revenues, Visa continues to reward their shareholders with an increasing and consistent dividend.
If you would like to read more about company history please take a look at our previous blog post:
"How will you replace your current income in retirement?"™ - Jim Seyers