NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- In
- Minimum market cap: $2.5 billion Increasing dividends for each of the past seven years Minimum dividend yield of 2% Decrease in shares outstanding of at least 5% in the past year.
The granddaddy of them all in terms of size is Exxon Mobil ( XOM). The oil giant has reduced shares outstanding by 5.1% over the past year, and currently yields 2.6%. The company has grown its dividend by 8.3% over the past seven years. 
XOM Dividend data by YCharts
Intel ( INTC), which currently yields 3.4% and has reduced its shares outstanding by 5.1% over the past year also made the cut. The company still has nearly $13.65 billion in cash and short-term investments on the books.
INTC Dividend data by YCharts
Just one restaurant name qualified: Darden ( DRI). The company's dividend has grown from 4 cents quarterly in 2005 to 50 cents last month, for a solid 3.7% indicated yield.
DRI Dividend data by YCharts
Other companies meeting the criteria include Conoco Phillips ( COP); retailers Lowe's ( LOW), Walgreen ( WAG) and Safeway ( SWY); and aerospace and defense names Lockheed Martin ( LMT), Raytheon ( RTM) ), Northrop Grumman ( NOC) and L-3 Communications ( LLL). Also included are railroad companies CSX ( CSX) and Norfolk Southern ( NSC) and insurers Travelers ( TRV), Chubb ( CB) and Assurant ( AIZ). Rounding out the list are Ameriprise Financial ( AMP), McGraw-Hill ( MHP) and Becton Dickinson ( BDX). My work is not done here yet. The next step will be to identify some smaller names that are also buying back shares and giving back to shareholders. At the time of publication the author had no holdings in any of the stocks mentioned. This article was written by an independent contributor, separate from TheStreet's regular news coverage.
XOM Dividend data by YCharts Intel ( INTC), which currently yields 3.4% and has reduced its shares outstanding by 5.1% over the past year also made the cut. The company still has nearly $13.65 billion in cash and short-term investments on the books.
INTC Dividend data by YCharts Just one restaurant name qualified: Darden ( DRI). The company's dividend has grown from 4 cents quarterly in 2005 to 50 cents last month, for a solid 3.7% indicated yield.
DRI Dividend data by YCharts Other companies meeting the criteria include Conoco Phillips ( COP); retailers Lowe's ( LOW), Walgreen ( WAG) and Safeway ( SWY); and aerospace and defense names Lockheed Martin ( LMT), Raytheon ( RTM) ), Northrop Grumman ( NOC) and L-3 Communications ( LLL). Also included are railroad companies CSX ( CSX) and Norfolk Southern ( NSC) and insurers Travelers ( TRV), Chubb ( CB) and Assurant ( AIZ). Rounding out the list are Ameriprise Financial ( AMP), McGraw-Hill ( MHP) and Becton Dickinson ( BDX). My work is not done here yet. The next step will be to identify some smaller names that are also buying back shares and giving back to shareholders. At the time of publication the author had no holdings in any of the stocks mentioned. This article was written by an independent contributor, separate from TheStreet's regular news coverage.
