Money has been feeling a little tight for everyone lately. You've probably noticed it at the grocery store or when you're looking at your utility bills. But for some investors, this week brought a little bit of breathing room. While the broader market swings back and forth based on the latest inflation whispers, a handful of companies decided to give their shareholders a literal raise.
It’s easy to get distracted by flashy tech startups or the latest AI hype, but there is something fundamentally "old school" and comforting about a dividend hike. When a company raises its payout, it’s not just being nice. It’s a signal. They’re basically telling the world, "Hey, we have more cash than we know what to do with, and our future looks stable enough to commit to paying you more."
This week, we saw some familiar names and a few under-the-radar players step up to the plate.
The Standouts: Stocks That Raised Dividends This Week
Let’s talk about Lakeland Financial Corporation (LKFN). Honestly, regional banks haven't exactly been the darlings of Wall Street for a while now. But on Tuesday, January 13, 2026, Lakeland announced a 4% increase in its quarterly cash dividend. It’s moving to $0.48 per share.
📖 Related: What Year Was The Stock Market Crash? What History Actually Shows Us
CEO David M. Findlay was pretty clear about why. He pointed to a "strong capital foundation." In plain English? They’ve managed their books well enough to reward the people sticking by them. If you’re a shareholder of record by January 25, you’ll see that cash hit your account on February 5. It isn't a massive, life-changing jump, but in a world where every percentage point counts, a 4% raise is nothing to sneeze at.
Then there is Realty Income (O). People call this "The Monthly Dividend Company" for a reason. They don’t just pay every quarter; they pay every single month. They recently declared their 667th consecutive common stock monthly dividend.
Think about that number for a second.
That is over 55 years of consistent payments. This week, they nudged the needle again. The new monthly dividend is $0.27 per share, which works out to an annualized $3.24. Realty Income is a REIT (Real Estate Investment Trust), meaning they own thousands of properties—think 7-Elevens, Walgreens, and Dollar Generals. Because they use triple-net leases, the tenants pay for the taxes, insurance, and maintenance. It’s a beautifully simple business model that keeps the cash flowing to you, the investor, even when the economy gets weird.
Why These Hikes Actually Count
A lot of people think dividend investing is for retirees. Wrong.
If you're younger, these hikes are like a snowball rolling down a hill. You get the increase, you reinvest it to buy more shares, and then those shares eventually get their own dividend increase. It's a loop. This week's action from companies like Hormel Foods (HRL)—which is sitting on a 60-year streak of increases—shows that even "boring" companies can be wealth-building machines.
Hormel recently confirmed its quarterly dividend of $0.2925 per share. While the announcement happened slightly before this week, the "record date" was Monday, January 12. If you held the stock when the sun came up on Monday, you're in the club for the next payout on February 17.
A Quick Reality Check on Yields
Sometimes a high yield is a trap. You'll see a stock like Invesco Mortgage Capital (IVR) mentioned in dividend circles because it has a double-digit yield. It’s currently hovering around 17%.
That sounds amazing, right?
Well, kinda. You have to look at the history. Mortgage REITs are notoriously volatile. While they might be paying out 36 cents a share this month, you have to ask yourself if the underlying stock price is stable. Often, a massive yield is just a sign that the stock price has crashed. Always look at the "payout ratio"—the percentage of earnings a company spends on its dividend. If they’re paying out 90% of what they make, there isn't much room for error.
The "Gold" Standard of Consistency
If you want to look at something a bit more niche, Dynacor Group (DNG) made a move this week too. They process gold from artisanal miners in Peru. It’s a unique business. They announced a monthly dividend of C$0.01333 per share for January.
It’s their eighth year of consecutive payouts.
Mining and gold are usually seen as speculative gambles, but Dynacor is trying to prove that even in the dirt, you can find a steady stream of income. It’s a Canadian company, so if you’re a U.S. investor, you have to keep an eye on those currency exchange rates and "eligible dividend" tax rules, which can get a little messy.
What Most People Get Wrong About Dividend Week
Most investors wait for the news to break before they buy. That’s usually too late to catch the immediate "pop" in price, but that doesn't really matter for long-term dividend growth.
The real secret?
You’re looking for "Dividend Aristocrats" or "Dividend Kings." These are companies that have raised their payouts for 25 or 50 years straight. When you see stocks that raised dividends this week, you aren't just looking for a quick buck. You’re looking for evidence of a "moat." A company that can raise dividends during a period of 2.7% CPI inflation (which is where we’re sitting right now in early 2026) is a company that has pricing power. They can charge more for their products, so they have more profit to share with you.
Practical Next Steps for Your Portfolio
If you're looking to capitalize on this week's news, don't just go out and buy every ticker mentioned. That's a recipe for a disjointed mess. Instead, consider these moves:
- Check the Ex-Dividend Date: If you want the upcoming check, you usually need to buy the stock at least one business day before the ex-dividend date. If you buy it on the date itself, the previous owner gets the cash, not you.
- Audit Your Payout Ratio: Look at the company’s last quarterly report. If they earned $1.00 per share but are paying out $0.95 in dividends, that dividend is "tight." You want to see a buffer—ideally a payout ratio under 60% for most industries.
- Diversify the "Why": Don't just buy three banks because they all raised dividends. Mix it up. Take a REIT like Realty Income, a consumer staple like Hormel, and maybe a financial like Lakeland. This protects you if one specific sector of the economy hits a wall.
- Use a Screener: Tools like Finviz or your brokerage’s search tool can filter for "Dividend Growth" over the last 5 years. This week's winners are great, but the winners of the last decade are the ones that actually build retirement portfolios.
Buying into the market right now requires a bit of a thick skin. Volatility is the name of the game in 2026. But while the "price" of your stocks might jump around like a caffeinated squirrel, a dividend hike is a tangible, cold-hard-cash win that nobody can take away from you.
Keep an eye on the upcoming earnings season. Usually, when a company reports their quarterly numbers, they’ll slip a dividend announcement into the press release. That’s when the real action happens. For now, the handful of companies that stepped up this week have given their investors a reason to smile, even if the rest of the news cycle is a bit of a headache.