Friday Dividend Roundup (MCD, TXN, COV, LII, AGX, YUM, CAG)

McDonald’s Corp.’s (NYSE: MCD) board of directors approved a 10% increase in the company’s quarterly dividend on common stock, to 77 cents a share. The new dividend is payable Dec. 17 to stockholders of record as of Dec. 3.

Texas Instruments’ Inc. (NASDAQ: TXN) board approved plans to lift its quarterly dividend to 21 cents a share. That is a 24% increase from the current quarterly payout, and marks the ninth-straight year in which the company has hiked its dividend. The new dividend will be payable Nov. 19 to holders of record as of Oct. 31.

The board of Covidien PLC (NYSE: COV) okayed a 16% increase in the quarterly dividend paid on the company’s ordinary shares, to 26 cents a share. That dividend is payable Nov. 5 to holders of record as of Oct. 11.

Lennox International Inc.’s (NYSE: LII) board approved an 11% hike in the company’s quarterly dividend to 20 cents a share. It is payable Oct. 15 to holders of record as of Oct. 4.

And for the second time in a year, Argan Inc. (NYSEMKT: AGX) declared a special dividend, this one in the amount of 60 cents per common share. It is payable Nov. 7 to holders of record as of Oct. 11.

Yesterday, Yum! Brands Inc. (NYSE: YUM) boosted its quarterly dividend by 18% and ConAgra Foods Inc. (NYSE: CAG) lifted its dividend by penny per share.

In premarket trading, McDonald’s is up 0.1% to $93.25 per share, Texas Instruments is up 0.1% to $28.89 and Coviden is down 0.4% to $59.35.