Which dividend is most likely to be hiked? Usually, the brand-new payout . Chief Financial Officers are a conservative bunch. A CFO will only agree to pay a dividend if they know they can: Make the payment comfortably. Hike the dividend repeatedly for years to come—with said comfort. The hike part is important because rising dividends drive stock gains. I’m talking about hundreds or even thousands of percentage points in potential gains. Let’s consider Apple (AAPL) and its inaugural dividend moment. In March 2012, the tech giant initiated a regular dividend of $2.65 per share. The payout was a catalyst for 12 subsequent years of moonshot performance.… Read more