The following companies announced a change in their dividend payouts today.

Companies Increasing Dividend Payouts
C.R. Bard Inc.(BCR) has raised its annual dividend payout from $.76 to $.80. The new dividend yield, based on today’s closing stock price of $99.44, is .80%. BCR is not a “Recommended” stock at this time, holding a Dividend.com Rating of 3.2 out of 5 stars.

Caterpillar (CAT) has raised its annual dividend payout from $1.84 to $2.08. The new dividend yield, based on today’s closing stock price of $85.29, is 2.44%. CAT is not a “Recommended” stock at this time, holding a Dividend.com Rating of 3.4 out of 5 stars.

Target (TGT) has raised its annual dividend payout from $1.20 to $1.44. The new dividend yield, based on today’s closing stock price of $58.05, is 2.48%. TGT is not a “Recommended” stock at this time, holding a Dividend.com Rating of 3.4 out of 5 stars.

United Technologies (UTX) has raised its annual dividend payout from $1.92 to $2.14. The new dividend yield, based on today’s closing stock price of $73.54, is 2.91%. UTX is not a “Recommended” stock at this time, holding a Dividend.com Rating of 3.3 out of 5 stars.

Be sure to visit our complete recommended list of the Best Dividend Stocks, as well as a detailed explanation of our ratings system here.