2 Big Dividend increases

Over the last 24 hours shareholders of two companies received a very nice pay raise. I own one in my taxable account and the other in a Roth IRA. Both of these stocks had big increases last year also. I remeber Boeing being 50% and 3M may have been 33%. Those raises are bigger then I may be able to achieve from any company in a lifetime of a working career.

First was Boeing raising the dividend 25% from $0.73 to $0.91/share and approving a higher buyback amount of $12B worth next year. Also a bullish outlook with a record baklog helped them raise the dividend above analysts expectations.  Below is from a press release:

Boeing Co. said its board authorized the repurchase of $12 billion of the aerospace and defense company's shares over the next two to three years and raised its quarterly dividend by 25%. The company's quarterly dividend will rise to 91 cents, up 18 cents from its previous payout to shareholders of 73 cents a share. The dividend increase results in a yield of roughly 3%. The dividend is payable to stockholders of record as of Feb. 13, 2015.

This morning was 3M raising the dividend 20% from $0.855 to $1.025 per share. 3M also said that they project 12% earnings growth next year. This is from the 3M press release:

The board of directors of 3M (NYSE:MMM) today declared a dividend on the company’s common stock of $1.025 per share for the first quarter of 2015, a 20 percent increase over the quarterly dividend paid in 2014. The dividend is payable Mar. 12, 2015, to shareholders of record at the close of business on Feb. 13, 2015. 3M has paid dividends to its shareholders without interruption for 98 years.

Anyone else a happy shareholder in these names?

Photo Sources:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing
                        http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3M