Johnson & Johnson, Schlumberger Boosted Dividends

Johnson & Johnson, Southern Co., and Schlumberger were among the large U.S. companies that declared dividend this week.

Healthcare conglomerate Johnson & Johnson (ticker:JNJ) plans to boost its quarterly disbursement to $1.13 a share from $1.06, an increase of more than 6%. The stock, which yields 2.5%, had returned about 8% this year through Thursday’s close, compared with minus 7% for the S&P 500 index. That includes dividends.

The…