(Reuters) - Warehouse operator Costco Wholesale Corp (O:COST) on Wednesday raised its quarterly dividend by about 8%, joining a small but growing list of companies to do so at a time when most of corporate America is suspending shareholders returns in order to shore up liquidity as the coronavirus crisis deepens.
Healthcare conglomerate Johnson & Johnson (N:JNJ) and consumer goods company Procter & Gamble (N:PG) also raised their quarterly dividends by about 6% each on Tuesday.
Demand for consumer and healthcare products, groceries and other essential items has risen dramatically as people stockpile to tide over the lockdowns imposed to curb the COVID-19 padnemic, caused by the new coronavirus.
Here are some more companies that have announced higher dividends this month:
Company Name RIC New Old % Date of Market Cap Link
Dividend Dividend increase change (in billions)
Johnson & Johnson (N:JNJ) $1.01 $0.95 6.32% April 14 $389.28
Procter & Gamble Co (N:PG) $0.7907 $0.7459 6.01% April 14 $299.35
Costco Wholesale Corp (O:COST) $0.70 $0.65 7.69% April 15 $138.70
First Republic Bank (N:FRC) $0.20 $0.19 5.26% April 14 $16.19
Bank Ozk (N:OZK) $0.27 $0.26 3.85% April 01 $2.32
H.B. Fuller Co
Lindsay Corp (N:LNN) $0.32 $0.31 3.23% April 06 $0.99
* Market cap according to Refinitiv Eikon data as of trading close on April 15