12 Dividend Stocks Increasing Payouts

American Financial Group(AFG), a property and casualty insurance provider in Cincinnati, raised its quarterly dividend by 18.2% to 16.25 cents per share, from 13.75 cents. It was American Financial Group's sixth consecutive year of dividend increases.

Golar LNG(GLNG), a Bermuda-based operator of liquefied natural gas carriers and floating storage regasification units, proposed a cash dividend increase to 15 cents per share when it reported its interim results for the quarter ended June 30. It will be paid Sept. 27 to shareholders of record on Sept. 6. The firm also said it is targeting a normalized dividend of 25 cents per share for the third quarter. The company's board also proposed a further Golar Energy (GOLAF) stock dividend for the second quarter, where one Golar Energy share will be paid for every 7 shares held in Golar.

Toronto-based metal and mining investor Sentry Select Primary Metals (PME.TO) upped its monthly cash dividend per Class A share to 8.5 cents, from 7 cents, payable Oct. 15 to security holders of record on Sept. 30.

Alliance Financial(ALNC), a financial holding company and provider of retail and commercial banking services, raised its quarterly dividend to 30 cents per share, up 7.1% from 28 cents per share paid in June. It will be paid Oct. 1 to shareholders of record on Sept. 17.

Mediasafe 1 Technologies (MFTH), an Israeli developer of patented technologies that prevent unauthorized administration of prescription medications, said it plans to issue and complete a forward stock split of 5-1 in the form of a stock dividend on its common shares, payable around Sept. 20 to shareholders of record on Sept. 17, subject to FINRA approval.

Elsewhere in the world of dividend payouts, Microsoft(MSFT) is expected to increase its quarterly dividend next month. For the last eight quarters the software-making behemoth paid shareholders 13 cents per share on a quarterly basis.

"There's a record of them returning excess cash to shareholders," Patrick Becker Jr. at Becker Capital Management, a holder of the stock, told Reuters. "I don't think you'll see a special (dividend) out of them, but they will continue to raise the regular dividend and do share buybacks."

Finally, shares of Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance(ARI) were upgraded by FBR Capital Markets to outperform from market perform after the REIT increased its dividend by 14% to 40 cents per share, from 35 cents, early last month. Its increased payout will be paid Oct. 12 to shareholders of record on Sept. 30. Apollo Commercial is a real estate investment trust that invests in commercial mortgage-backed securities, first mortgages, and mezzanine loans.

-- Written by Miriam Marcus Reimer in New York.

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