4 Stocks to Watch That Recently Declared Dividend Hikes Amid Volatility
Economic data released this week doesn't paint a rosy picture, raising concerns over the economy slipping into a recession in the coming months. Although President Donald Trump temporarily paused reciprocal tariffs last month, which helped markets rebound from their earlier lows, Wall Street remains volatile.
Given this uncertainty, cautious investors looking for a steady income and ways to protect their capital may want to hold or buy dividend-paying stocks. Three such stocks are Atkore Inc. ATKR, Enact Holdings, Inc. ACT, Pool Corporation POOL and American Water Works Company, Inc. AWK.
The Commerce Department said earlier this week that the U.S. economy contracted in the first quarter of 2025. Gross domestic product (GDP) fell 0.3% in the first three months of the year, recording the first quarter of negative growth since the first quarter of 2022, and missing analysts' expectations of 0.4% growth.
This came as fears grew that Trump's tariffs could weigh on the economy's health. Trump temporarily paused tariffs for 90 days, which saw a sharp rise in imports in the final month of the first quarter as consumers bought imported goods at a higher rate. Imports jumped 41.3% for the quarter, while exports grew just 1.8%.
Consumer spending also slowed as people saved more, anticipating tougher days ahead. Besides, there was also a significant decline in federal expenditures, which played a major role in the sluggish GDP figures.
Investors are worried that the economy could shrink further once the tariffs go into effect. Consumer confidence fell 7.9 points to 86 in April to hit a five-year low. Needless to say, investors aren't confident about the economy and with the picture on trade negotiations still unclear, markets could remain volatile for a longer period.
Given the uncertainty, it would be a wise decision to invest in stocks that pay dividends. These companies usually remain stable and consistently pay out dividends while sustaining profitability through strong business strategies. In a fluctuating market, companies that pay high dividends often outperform those that do not.
Atkore Inc. manufactures and distributes electrical raceway products. It offers steel tubes and pipes, electrical conduit, armored wire and cable, cable trays, metal framing systems and building components. Atkore has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
On April 30, Atkore announced that its shareholders would receive a dividend of $0.33 a share on May 28. ATKR has a dividend yield of 2%. Over the past five years, Atkore has increased its dividend once, and its payout ratio presently sits at 12% of earnings. Check Atkore's dividend history here.
Enact Holdings, Inc. operates principally through its wholly owned subsidiary Genworth Mortgage Insurance Corporation, which provides U.S. private mortgage insurance. Enact Holdings has a Zacks Rank #3.
On April 30, Enact Holdings declared that its shareholders would receive a dividend of $0.21 a share on June 11. ACT has a dividend yield of 2.07%. Over the past five years, Enact Holdings has increased its dividend six times, and its payout ratio presently sits at 16% of earnings. Check Enact Holdings' dividend history here.
Pool Corporation is the world's largest wholesale distributor of swimming pool supplies, equipment and related products. In addition, POOL is a leading regional wholesale distributor of irrigation and landscape products. Pool Corporation carries a Zacks Rank #3.
On April 30, Pool Corporation announced that its shareholders would receive a dividend of $1.25 a share on May 29. POOL has a dividend yield of 1.64%. Over the past five years, Pool Corporation has increased its dividend six times, and its payout ratio presently sits at 46% of earnings. Check Pool Corporation's dividend history here.
American Water Works Company, Inc. provides essential water services to more than 14 million customers in 24 states and has an employee strength of 6,700. AWK also acquires small water service providers to expand its customer base. American Water Works carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).
On April 30, American Water Works declared that its shareholders would receive a dividend of $0.83 a share on June 3. AWK has a dividend yield of 2.08%. Over the past five years, American Water Works has increased its dividend six times, and its payout ratio presently sits at 57% of earnings. Check American Water Works' dividend history here.
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Can Fashion's ‘Bridges' Overcome Its ‘Barriers'?
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It was a stealthy retreat that, inadvertently or not, reflected the muted mood of the two-day conference, which one attendee described as 'somber,' another as 'a bit flat' and a third as evocative of a 'palpable decline of interest.' Fewer high-level brands abounded, a consequence of throttled travel budgets, a fear of appearing overtly political—and potentially ticking off a certain White House inhabitant—and cannibalization by concurrent events such as SXSW's first London foray and, we were told, an especially buzzy textile recycling expo in Brussels where shoulders were slapped and hands shaken over business deals. For the thousand or so people who converged on Copenhagen, just a hair fewer than those who turned up for last year's 15th anniversary, there was very little to feel celebratory about. Geopolitical turmoil, tariff uncertainty and environmental deregulation hung heavily in the air. 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Kalpona Akter's heartfelt description of garment workers' struggles in Bangladesh produced little response and, by the time the 'celebration dinner' rolled around, no offers of help that might relieve her organization's loss of funding from the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID for short. Eileen Fisher's call for everyone to 'show up more and collaborate more' offered a burst of inspiration. Things flattened from there. 'Some feedback I heard is that some people feel the brands are too restrained and they prefer the speakers that are more candid and speak more openly,' an attendee said. But the event's dour note was hardly unexpected. There is simply no way to spin the current climate, whether political, environmental or otherwise, no matter how many times someone insists that there is no business on a dead planet. For brands grappling with the existential threat of tariffs, sustainability has dropped several rungs in priority. The Trump administration's crackdown on so-called 'woke' notions such as climate action or DEI in the United States isn't even the half of it. In Europe, the omnibus package, a series of amendments designed to simplify—and many say water down—the corporate sustainability due diligence directive, the corporate sustainability reporting directive and other legislative instruments, threatens to unravel years of progress holding corporations liable for their environmental and social impacts. It's still unclear how other forthcoming regulations involving extended producer responsibility, greener design requirements and traceability compliance will play out. 'There's a general backlash on sustainability in Brussels,' Lara Wolters, the Dutch politician who was the European Parliament's lead negotiator on the CSDD, said at a pre-game policy masterclass at the Danish Architecture Center. 'None of this is for a good reason, but maybe to take a step back. 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'I spent a good chunk of my flight over breaking through President Trump's proposed 2026 budget,' said Chelsea Murtha, senior director of sustainability at the American Apparel & Footwear Association. 'And, of course, USAID is completely eliminated, and a lot of the functions that it had are not even fully being transposed over to the State Department. The U.S., in particular, was a very large funder of the [International Labour Organization's] Better Work program, and all of that funding is gone now.' The outcome has been a 'sort of paralysis,' she said. Brands, squeezed by higher import costs, are hard-pressed to fill the breach. And while individual states could step up with rulemaking to counter the White House's actions, there's also only so much they can do. 'It's not like they can't step in and do things, but they're constricted in their authorities,' she said. 'They cannot negotiate trade deals, and they can't control imports. 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Senate GOP seeks to cut SALT cap, triggering fight with House
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Senate Republicans emerged from a conference meeting Wednesday where key committees laid out their portions of the bill and lawmakers discussed numerous changes on the table. Several contentious issues remained unresolved, with only two legislative weeks to go until the July 4 recess. But multiple senators told The Hill that the chamber appears ready to chop down the $40,000 SALT cap, which was painstakingly negotiated between Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and House GOP moderates from New York, New Jersey and California who have warned not to touch it. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), one of the members who led the meeting, was insistent that the cap would fall below $40,000, one Senate Republican said. It's unclear exactly what number Republicans in the upper chamber are eyeing, but Bloomberg News reported it was $30,000. 'There was never a number specifically discussed other than the House's [$40,000] — and it's a lot,' Sen. 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Miami Herald
20 minutes ago
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Apple WWDC underwhelms fans in a crucial upgrade
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