Beverage and snack-food giant PepsiCo (ticker: PEP) sweetened its quarterly common payout for the 36th year in a row, to 42.5 cents a share, up 13% from 37.5 cents. Yield: 2.52%. Disbursement is slated for June 30 to investors of record June 6. The stock goes ex-dividend June 4. Payouts have been ongoing since 1952. Chief Executive Indra Nooyi said "the dividend reflects our continued commitment to maximize the value of our shareholders' investment and our confidence in the future growth of our business."

By comparison, archrival Coca-Cola (KO) increased its quarterly in February, to 38 cents a share from 34 cents, for a current yield of 2.71%. That was Coke's 46th annual hike. A Dow industrials component, KO is priced around 56; its 52-week high is 65.59. Coke intends to spend up to $2 billion on share buybacks this year.

In Louisville, Ky., Yum! Brands (YUM) directors voted a 27% enhancement in quarterly common dividends, to 19 cents a share from 15 cents. Investors of record July 11 will receive the new payout Aug. 1, and the ex-date is July 9. The fast-food restaurant company, whose top brands include Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, KFC and Long John Silver's, has now nearly quadrupled dividends since initiating them in May '04. The stock split 2-for-1 last June. The Big Board-listed shares set a 52-week high of 41.73 April 30. They yield 1.91%.

Mercury enriched its quarterly 11.5%, to 58 cents a share from 52 cents, for a 4.68% yield. The company, which primarily writes automobile insurance, has hiked payouts every year since initiating them in 1986.

Rohm & Haas' dividend is going to 41 cents a share quarterly from 37 cents, for an 11% increase. R&H has boosted payouts by 10% or more each year since 1978, and has paid dividends since 1927. The stock now yields 3.03%.

The world's largest gold producer, Barrick boosted its semiannual dividend 33%, to 20 cents a share from 15 cents. It has been making payouts since 1987. Yield: 1.01%.