2 Companies That Boosted Their Stock Dividends This Week

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Altria Group

and

Lam Research

declared dividend increases this week in an otherwise quiet period for such announcements among large U.S. companies.

August is one of the slower months for companies to make announcements about dividend raises.

Tobacco giant Altria Group (ticker: MO) said it plans to boost its quarterly disbursement to 94 cents a share, an increase of 4.4% from 90 cents.

The stock, which yields around 8%, returned about 2% this year through the close on Thursday, dividends included. That compares with minus 11% for the

S&P 500.

Lam Research

(LRCX), which supplies equipment and services to the semiconductor industry, declared a quarterly dividend of $1.725 cents a share, up from $1.50 a share. That’s a 15% increase.

The stock, which has returned minus 33% this year, yields 1.3%.

Write to Lawrence C. Strauss at [email protected]