While a rotation away from pricey technology stocks is behind a tech sell-off, rising inflationary concerns are also causing market volatility. An unexpected, fast economic recovery could even lead to increased volatility. Hence, we believe it would be prudent now to bet on stocks that offer a steady stream of income through dividends.

Furthermore, dividend stocks have performed well over the past year, as is evidenced by the  Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF’s (VYM) 41.5% returns over this period. So, betting on dividend stocks that are fundamentally sound could also deliver capital appreciation.

Oracle Corporation (ORCL), Qualcomm, Inc. (QCOM), Colgate-Palmolive Company (CL), and Johnson Controls International (JCI) are four  stocks that have recently increased their dividend payouts. These stocks have also delivered decent price returns over the past year.

Oracle Corporation (ORCL)

ORCL develops and markets database and middleware software, cloud infrastructure, hardware systems, and other IT related products. The company has worldwide operations. ORCL has gained 41.3% over the past year to close yesterday’s trading session at $66.22.

ORCL  recently launched on its OCI platform the Oracle MySQL Database Service with integrated MySQL Analytics Engine. The company has also recently  launched its Oracle Health Management System in African countries.

ORCL has declared a dividend per share of $0.32 for the last quarter. This represents an increase of 33% from its  earlier dividend amount. ORCL’s dividend payout has grown  at a CAGR of 11.6% over the past five years. The company has an annual dividend yield of 1.56%. Its  four-year average yield  is 1.59%.

The company  is expected to see  5.8% revenue growth for the quarter ended May 30, 2021 and 3.1% in 2021. Its  EPS is estimated to grow 15.8% in 2021 and at a rate of 12.2% per annum over the next five years.

ORCL’s strong fundamentals are reflected in its POWR Ratings. The stock has an overall A rating, which equates to Strong Buy in our proprietary ratings system. The POWR Ratings are calculated by considering 118 different factors with each factor weighted to an optimal degree.

It has a B grade for Value, Sentiment, Quality, and Stability. In the Software – Application industry, it is ranked #6 of 114 stocks.

In total, we rate ORCL on eight different levels. Beyond what we’ve stated above we have also  given ORCL grades for Growth and Momentum. Get all the ORCL ratings here.

Qualcomm, Inc. (QCOM)

QCOM is involved in providing digital communication services. The company  has operations primarily in the United States, China, South Korea, and Taiwan. QCOM has returned 94.5% over the past year to close yesterday’s trading session at $133.92.

Qualcomm  recently completed the acquisition of NUVIA,  a market-leading CPU and technology design company. The company has also recently launched Qualcomm Snapdragon Sound for wireless audio.

The company has declared a dividend per share of $0.68 for the last quarter, which represents  a 4.6% increase  from the previous quarter. QCOM’s dividend payout has grown at  a CAGR of 6.5% over the past five years. It  has an annual dividend yield of 2.04%. The company’s four-year average yield is 3.44%.

QCOM is expected to see a revenue 46.3% for the quarter ended March 31, 2021 and 43.1% in 2021. Its  EPS is estimated to grow 4.2% in 2021 and 24.5% per annum over the next five years.

It’s no surprise that QCOM has an overall B rating, which equates to Buy in our POWR Ratings system. QCOM has an A grade  for Growth and B for Value, Momentum, and Quality. In the B-rated Semiconductor & Wireless Chip industry, it is ranked #7 of 99 stocks.

Click here to see the additional POWR Ratings for QCOM (Sentiment, Value, and Stability).

Colgate-Palmolive Company (CL)

CL develops, manufactures, and markets consumer products. The company has worldwide operations. It has gained 8% over the past year to close yesterday’s trading session at $75.8.

The company recently released laboratory test results that show that toothpaste and mouthwash neutralize 99.9% of the virus that causes COVID-19. Separately, the company has also appointed Stanley J. Sutula as Chief Financial Officer. He  has extensive experience in corporate finance and risk management.

CL has declared a $0.45  per share dividend for the last quarter, which is an increase of 2.2% from the earlier dividend amount. CL’s dividend payout has grown  at a CAGR of 2.96% over the past five years. The company has an annual dividend yield of 2.37%. The four-year average yield of the company is 2.4%.

CL is expected to see a revenue growth of 4.3% for the quarter ended March 31, 2021 and 5.6% in 2021. The company’s EPS is estimated to grow 7.5% in 2021 and 7.5% per annum over the next five years.

CL’s strong fundamentals are reflected in its POWR Ratings. The stock has an overall B rating,  which equates to Buy in our proprietary ratings system. CL has an A  grade  for Quality and Stability. In the 67-stock Consumer Goods industry, it is ranked #16.

Beyond what we’ve stated above, we have also given CL grades for Growth, Value, Sentiment, and Momentum. Get all the CL ratings here.

Johnson Controls International (JCI)

JCI provides  energy solutions, building products, and next generation transportation systems. The company has international operations. JCI’s stock price has increased 105% over the past year, and its last closing price was $60.52.

JCI and Microsoft have entered a collaboration to integrate  JCI’s Openblue Digital Twin and Microsoft’s Azure Digital Twins. The company has also launched a new customizable service for remote building management in Africa and the Middle East.

JCI has declared a $0.27 dividend per share for the last quarter, which is an increase of 3.8% from its  previous  dividend amount. JCI’s dividend payout has grown  at a 6.44% CAGR  over the past five years. The company has an annual dividend yield of 1.73%. The four-year average yield of the company is 2.72%.

JCI is expected to see a 2.5% revenue growth for the quarter ended March 31, 2021 and 4.3% in 2021. The company’s EPS is estimated to grow 14.3% in 2021 and 14.1% per annum over the next five years.

It’s no surprise that JCI has an overall B rating, which equates to Buy in our POWR Ratings system. In the A-rated Industrial – Building Materials industry, it is ranked #29 of 54 stocks.

Click here to see the additional POWR Ratings for JCI (Growth, Momentum, Value, Quality, Stability, and Sentiment).

The POWR Ratings are calculated by considering 118 different factors with each factor weighted to an optimal degree.

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ORCL shares were trading at $66.70 per share on Thursday morning, up $0.48 (+0.72%). Year-to-date, ORCL has gained 3.50%, versus a 5.80% rise in the benchmark S&P 500 index during the same period.

About the Author: Aaryaman Aashind

Aaryaman is an accomplished journalist that’s passionate about providing in-depth insights about investing and personal finance. Recently he has been focused on the stock market and he specializes in evaluating high-growth stocks. More...

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