The dividend landscape, here in the U.S. and abroad, continues to favor income investors.
Net dividend increases totaled $17.8 billion in the first quarter, up almost 23% year-over-year. Nearly 1,100 dividend increases were reported during the quarter, displacing the prior first quarter record of 1,069 set in 1979. Q1 2014 is 14.2% higher than the 944 increases in Q1 2013, according to S&P Dow Jones Indices. [Good Q1 for Dividends, but Some Payout ETFs Lost Cash]
As seasoned dividend investors know, most U.S. companies pay dividends on common stock on a quarterly basis, though there are some real estate investment trusts and master limited partnerships that pay monthly. Many foreign dividend stocks deliver their payouts just once or twice per year.
Investors looking for increased payout regularity have options with exchange traded funds. Yes, that means with more than just bond ETFs, most of which feature monthly payouts. In fact, we dug up 10 ETFs that pay monthly dividends.
None of the funds included here are bond ETFs and none are multi-asset ETFs, several of which deliver monthly payouts as well. Many of the ETFs featured here are well-known and chock full of some of the most familiar dividend stocks. That includes the …