Dividends in Focus: Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (WMT)

In 2013, discount retailer Wal-Mart Stores (WMT) shares rose 13%. Below, we analyze the company's current dividend policy and what could happen with its dividend in 2014.

Wal-Mart Stores’s Current Dividend Policy

Wal-Mart currently offers a dividend yield of approximately 2.4%. The company will pay its next quarterly dividend of 47 cents on January 2. For 38 consecutive years, WMT has raised its dividend. In 2012, WMT increased its dividend by 8.9% and in 2013 the company boosted dividends by 17.5%. We believe the company will likely raise its dividend payout once again in the first quarter of 2014.

Dividend.com DARS Ratings for Wal-Mart Stores Overall Rating:Neutral (3.4/5) Metric Rating Explanation

Relative Strength		Stock is performing in-line with the market or better.
Overall Yield Attractiveness		Stock’s dividend yield is below average.
Dividend Reliability		This rating is related to the length and consistency of a company’s dividend payouts, as well as our opinion on how likely the company is to continue payouts in the future.
Dividend Uptrend		Dividend payouts are consistent, but increases small.
Earnings Growth		Earnings estimates are uptrending.