Church & Dwight Co Inc (NYSE: CHD) reported its fourth-quarter sales growth on January 31, 2025, showing a 3.5% year-on-year increase to $1.58 billion, surpassing analyst expectations of $1.56 billion. The company's organic sales reflected more encouraging figures, rising 4.2%, attributed to stronger volume growth of 3.0% and improvements from pricing and product mix, amounting to 1.2%. Consumer Domestic sales increased by 2.7%, driven mainly by popular products such as ARM & HAMMER liquid laundry detergent and HERO acne products. On the other hand, Specialty Products experienced a decline of 6.6%.
Overall gross profit leapt by 3.9% to $707.9 million, and gross margins expanded 10 basis points to 44.7%. Adjusted earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter reached $0.77, aligning with consensus estimates. Operating income showed remarkable growth of 18.8%, totaling $256.7 million, leading to an operating margin of 16.2%. The company's financial health was underlined by $964.1 million held in cash as of December 31, 2024, alongside $1.16 billion generated from operating activities over the year.
To reward shareholders for their continued support, the board of directors announced a 4% increase to the quarterly dividend, raising it from $0.28375 to $0.295 per share, payable on March 3, 2025, to stockholders of record by February 14, 2025. Looking forward, Church & Dwight projected net sales growth of 2.5% to 3.5% for fiscal year 2025, with organic sales growth expected at 3% to 4% and adjusted EPS growth of 7% to 8%.
Meanwhile, Commerce Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ: CBSH) declared on the same day the board's decision to increase their quarterly dividend to $0.275 per share, reflecting a notable 7% growth compared to the previous dividend of $0.257, which had been adjusted due to stock dividends. This marks the 57th consecutive year of increased regular cash dividends for Commerce Bancshares, showcasing its stability and commitment to shareholders. The new dividend is payable on March 25, 2025, with shareholders of record at the close of business on March 7, 2025.
GATX Corporation (NYSE: GATX) also announced their quarterly dividend on January 31, 2025, declaring it at $0.61 per share. This figure indicates a 5.2% increase from last year’s dividend, exemplifying consistent financial strength and shareholder focus. CEO Robert C. Lyons stated, "2025 marks our 107th consecutive year of paying a dividend, a track record few companies can match," reinforcing GATX's reliability and commitment over decades. The dividend is set to be paid on March 31, 2025, to shareholders on record by February 28, 2025.
Lyons elaborated, "The dividend increase reflects the board’s positive view of GATX’s long-term outlook, the strength and quality of our cash flows, and the Company’s commitment to our shareholders." GATX Corporation has consistently invested over $10.3 billion back to its business in the past ten years, balancing growth with returning significant cash to shareholders.
Lastly, Imperial Oil Ltd (NYSE: IMO) announced earlier this week their plans for April when they will implement the largest nominal dividend increase in company history, raising the dividend by 20% to $0.72 per share. This decision was influenced by the company returning $3.9 billion to shareholders over the previous year. Despite facing challenges such as lower downstream margins and some uncertainty surrounding tariffs, Imperial Oil achieved its highest fourth-quarter production numbers in three decades, hitting 460,000 gross oil equivalent barrels per day.
Overall, these consecutive dividend announcements signal not only the individual financial success of these corporations but also serve as beacons of resilience across the corporate sector, providing optimism for both investors and the economy.