Dividend Increases, October 1-15, 2014

Only two of my watch list stocks (and none of my DivGro holdings) announced dividend increases in the first 15 days of October, so this post will be short and sweet!

I monitor dividend increase announcements to make Yield on Cost (YoC) adjustments and to update DivGro's projected annual dividend income. Even for stocks I don't own, dividend increases are interesting as they prompt added scrutiny of those stocks. Companies that regularly increase dividends show confidence in their ability to pay those increasing dividends.

Below is a table of dividend increases announced for stocks in my watch list during the first two weeks of October. Dividend amounts are annualized.

Dividend Increases: October 1-15, 2014

Company	Ticker	Price (Oct 15)	Previous Dividend	New Dividend	Current Yield	%Increase
Northwest Natural Gas Co.	NWN	44.57	1.84	1.86	4.17%	+1.09
Healthcare Services Group, Inc.	HCSG	27.89	0.70	0.70	2.51%	+0.72

Previous post: Dividend Increases: September 16-30, 2014

• Northwest Natural Gas Co. (NWN) | growth 58 yrs | yield 4.17% @ $44.57 | 5-yr CAGR 3.7%
NWN is the largest independent natural gas utility in the Pacific Northwest and one of the fastest growing local distribution companies in the United States. Headquartered in Portland, Oregon, NWN serves more than 655,000 residential and business customers in Oregon and southwest Washington. On October 7, the company declared a quarterly dividend of 46.5¢ per share, payable on November 14 to shareholders of record on October 29.

• Healthcare Services Group, Inc. (HCSG) | growth 12 yrs | yield 2.51% @ $27.89 | 5-yr CAGR 11.7%
Incorporated in 1976 and based in Bensalem, Pennsylvania, HCSG provides housekeeping, laundry, linen, facility maintenance, and food services to nursing homes, retirement complexes, rehabilitation centers, and hospitals throughout the United States and Canada.  Recently, the company declared a quarterly dividend of 17.5¢ per share, an increase of less than 1% over its prior payment. Shareholders of record on November 21 will be paid the dividend on December 26.

Please note that I'm not recommending these stocks. Readers should do their own research on these companies before buying shares.