Look for more dividend hikes in 2022

Article Excerpt

The U.S. Federal Reserve recently ended the restrictions it placed on banks due to COVID-19. As a result, both of these banks have raised their dividends and announced new share buybacks. The likelihood of higher interest rates will also give them more room for dividend hikes in 2022. J.P. MORGAN CHASE & CO. $156 is a buy. The bank (New York symbol JPM; Conservative-Growth Payer Portfolio, Finance sector; Shares outstanding: 3.0 billion; Market cap: $468.0 billion; Dividend yield: 2.6%; Dividend Sustainability Rating: Above Average; www.jpmorganchase.com) is the largest banking firm in the U.S., with total assets of $3.76 trillion as of September 30, 2021. Morgan raised your quarterly dividend with the October 2021 payment by 11.1%, to $1.00 a share from $0.90. The new annual rate of $4.00 yields 2.6%. The bank also continues to buy back its shares. In the first nine months of 2021, it repurchased 107.6 million shares at a total cost of $16.44 billion. Morgan still has $13.6 billion remaining under its current…