Guru Stocks Raising Dividends: KO, SLGN, TROW, LO, GPI

This is the group of companies who raised their dividend during the week: Coca Cola Company, Silgan Holdings Inc., T.Rowe Price, Lorillard Inc., Group 1 Automative Inc.

Coca Cola Comapany (KO, Financial)

The Coca-Cola Company is the world's largest beverage company and is the producer and marketer of soft drinks. Cocacola Company has a market cap of $149.89 billion; its shares were traded at around $64.55 with a P/E ratio of 18.44 and P/S ratio of 4.27. The dividend yield of Cocacola Company stocks is 2.73%. February 17th the company increased its quarterly dividend 7% to $0.47/share. This is equivalent to an annual dividend of $1.88 per share, up from $1.76 per share in 2010. The first quarterly dividend is payable April 1, 2011, to shareowners of record as of March 15, 2011. The yield based on the new payout is 2.9%.


Bill Gates, Donald Yacktman, and Tom Gayner own shares of LLC stock.


Pres/CEO, CC Refreshments USA Steven A Cahillane, Executive Vice President Alexander B Jr Cummings, and Group President J Alexander Jr Douglas sold shares of KO stock.

Silgan Holdings Inc. (SLGN, Financial)

SILGAN HOLDINGS is a holding company. Through its wholly owned subsidiaries, the company is engaged in the packaging industry and has three business units: Metal Food Container Business, Plastic Container Business and Specialty Packaging Business. Silgan Holdings Inc. has a market cap of $2.96 billion; its shares were traded at around $38.49 with a P/E ratio of 18.03 and P/S ratio of 0.96. February 17th the company increased its quarterly dividend to $0.11/share. The dividend is payable on March 17, 2011 to the holders of record of the common stock of the Company on March 3, 2011. The Company began paying a cash dividend in 2004 and has increased its quarterly dividend every year since. The yield based on the new payout is 1.2%.


Silgan Holdings Inc. reported full year 2010 net income of $144.6 million, or $1.89 per diluted share, as compared to full year 2009 net income of $159.4 million, or $2.07 per diluted share. Net sales for the full year of 2010 were $3.07 billion, up $4.7 million or 0.2 percent, as compared to 2009.


Joel Greenblatt bought 6,167 shares in the quarter that ended on 12/31/2010, which is 0.07% of the $306 million portfolio of Gotham Capital.


President and CEO Anthony J Allott, Executive VP and CFO Robert B Lewis, and Director, 10% Owner R Philip Silver sold shares of SLGN stock.

T. Rowe Price Group Inc. (TROW, Financial)

T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. is an investment adviser to individual and institutional investors in the sponsored T. T. Rowe Price Group Inc. has a market cap of $18.23 billion; its shares were traded at around $71.1 with a P/E ratio of 28.1 and P/S ratio of 7.69. February 17th the company increased its quarterly dividend 15% to $0.31 per share payable March 29, 2011 to stockholders of record as of the close of business on March 15, 2011. This will mark the 25th consecutive year since the firm’s initial public offering that the company will have increased its annual dividend payout. The yield based on the new payout is 1.8%.


T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. reported its fourth quarter 2010 results, including net revenues of $647.5 million, net income of $191.6 million, and diluted earnings per common share of $.72, an increase of 26% from the $.57 per share in the comparable 2009 quarter. Net revenues were $542.6 million in the fourth quarter of 2009, and net income was $152.5 million.


Richard Aster Jr and Mario Gabelli own shares of TROW stock.


CEO & President James A C Kennedy, Director Alfred Sommer, and Director Anne M Whittemore sold shares of TROW stock.

LORILLARD INC. (LO, Financial)

LORILLARD is the third largest manufacturer of cigarettes in the United States. Lorillard Inc. has a market cap of $11.9 billion; its shares were traded at around $79.53 with a P/E ratio of 11.73 and P/S ratio of 2.01. February 17th the company increased its quarterly dividend 16% to $1.30/share. The dividend is payable on March 11, 2011 to stockholders of record as of March 1, 2011. The yield based on the new payout is 6.6%.


Lorillard, Inc. announced results for the quarter and year ended December 31, 2010. Fourth quarter earnings per diluted share increased 14.5%, versus year ago, to $1.74. Net sales increased $108 million to $1.486 billion in the fourth quarter of 2010, compared to $1.378 billion in the fourth quarter of 2009, an increase of 7.8%.


Joel Greenblatt, Jean-Marie Eveillard, and James Barrow bought shares of LO stock.


Senior VP, GC and Secretary Ronald S. Milstein, Chairman Martin L. Orlowsky, and Chairman Martin L. Orlowsky sold shares of LO stock.

GROUP 1 AUTOMOTIVE INC. (GPI, Financial)

Group 1 Automotive, Inc. is a operator and consolidator in the highly fragmented automotive retailing industry. Group 1 Automotive Inc. has a market cap of $999.34 million; its shares were traded at around $42.12 with a P/E ratio of 15.78 and P/S ratio of 0.18. February 17th the company increased its quarterly dividend 10% to $0.11/share. The dividend will be paid on March 15, 2011, to stockholders of record on March 1, 2011. The yield based on the new payout is 1.1%.Ronald Muhlenkamp owns 430,100 shares as of 12/31/2010, an increase of 159.88% from the previous quarter. This position accounts for 2.53% of the $711 million portfolio of Muhlenkamp Fund.


VP, Human Resources J. Brooks O'hara, Chairman of the Board John L Adams, and Chairman of the Board John L Adams sold shares of GPI stock.