The Dynamic Dividend

Nu Skin Announces Surprise 19% Dividend Hike

Nu Skin Enterprises (NUS) declared a quarterly dividend of $0.16 per share today, which is a 19% improvement over its previous two payouts. The anti-aging company gave its shareholders an 8% raise in February, so this is a welcome breakout from its historic practice of increasing its payout once each year.

Nu Skin began returning cash to its shareholders at the start of 2001, and had raised its payout every four quarters like clockwork until this announcement. Combined with the dividend hike from earlier this year, the company is currently on pace to grow its dividend total by 18% in 2011, which would be its biggest year-over-year improvement since a 20% advance in 2002. Nu Skin has now raised its payout by a total of 220% in a little over a decade as a dividend-paying company.

Shares of NUS opened Monday’s session trading at $40.00, where they now feature a 1.60% dividend yield.