The beauty of blue-chip stocks is that they offer stability as well as dividends.
Investors can rely on these dependable heavyweights for assurance as they face an uncertain and possibly gloomy economic outlook.
The key is for you to watch for sturdy blue-chip stocks with strong franchises that can weather the storm.
With the earnings season just over, several of these companies have reported stellar earnings and also declared higher dividends.
It’s always a joy to receive more dividends but investors also need to keep an eye on the business to see if it can continue to grow.
Because when profits and cash flow steadily rise, there’s a chance for even higher dividends down the road.
Here are three companies that doubled their dividends and more.
City Developments Limited (SGX: C09)
City Developments Limited, or CDL, is a real estate company with a presence in 104 locations around 29 countries and regions.
For 2022, CDL reported its highest net profit since the group started operations as it conducted several major property divestments.
As a result, the group more than doubled its cash dividend from S$0.12 in 2021 to S$0.28 last year.
CDL has lined up several upcoming residential property launches in Singapore such as Tembusu Grand, Newport Residences, and The Myst.
The group’s hotel operations also witnessed a strong rebound with room occupancy rising from 50.2% in 2021 to 64.4% in 2022.
Looking ahead, CDL aims to build scale in its private rented sector and purpose-built student accommodation divisions to increase the group’s recurring income stream.
Sembcorp Industries Ltd (SGX: U96)
Sembcorp Industries Ltd, or SCI, is an energy and urban solutions provider with a balanced energy portfolio of 16.7 GW and an urban development project portfolio spanning 12,000 hectares across Asia.
The utility giant saw its net profit triple year on year as it enjoyed higher electricity prices and saw better contributions from its renewables portfolio.
The group’s dividend for 2022 came up to S$0.12, more than double the S$0.05 that was paid out in 2021.
SCI is busy building up its Renewables portfolio, with installed capacity hitting 9.8 GW soon, just short of its 2025’s 10 GW target.
However, the group warned of high inflation and macroeconomic headwinds that may dampen demand and impact its performance this year.
Genting Singapore Limited (SGX: G13)
Genting Singapore owns and operates the integrated resort (IR) at Resorts World Sentosa (RWS).
The IR spans 49 hectares and has six hotels with around 1,600 hotel rooms, a casino, an adventure theme park, and one of the world’s largest aquariums.
Genting Singapore reported an improved set of financial numbers for 2022 as tourism recovered with the reopening of borders.
Revenue climbed by 62% year on year to S$1.7 billion while net profit surged 85% year on year to S$340.1 million.
A final dividend of S$0.02 was declared, bringing the full-year dividend for 2022 to S$0.03.
In contrast, the IR operator paid out a total dividend of just S$0.01 in 2021.
RWS’ expansion plans are proceeding smoothly and the newly-renovated Festive Hotel will re-launch in May this year, helping to add 389 rooms to the IR’s overall hotel room inventory.
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Disclosure: Royston Yang does not own any of the companies mentioned.
