Investing in S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) shares for dividends?
Then you may want to tune into the half-year results released this morning by Nufarm Limited (ASX: NUF) and Aristocrat Leisure Ltd (ASX: ALL).
Both ASX 200 shares reported an increase in half-year profits. And both are pleasing passive income investors by upping their dividend payouts.
We'll start with Nufarm.
ASX 200 share ups interim dividend by 25%
Nufarm is a crop protection and specialist seeds company.
And the Nufarm share price is rocketing on the back of the company's very strong half-year results. At the time of writing, Nufarm stock is up 13.1% at $6 per share.
Passive income investors looking to secure the ASX 200 share's boosted dividend are likely helping drive the surge today.
Among the highlights, Nufarm reported a 7% year on year increase in underlying net profit after tax (NPAT), which came in at $142 million for the six months on the back of $2 billion in revenue.
Statutory NPAT saw even stronger growth, up 51% from the prior corresponding half-year to $149 million.
This led management to declare an unfranked interim dividend of 5 cents per share, up 25% from the prior interim dividend.
If you're looking to bank some passive income from Nufarm shares, you'll need to own the stock at market close next Wednesday, 24 May. The ASX 200 share trades ex-dividend on 25 May.
Eligible shareholders can expect that passive income to land in their bank accounts on 9 June.
Which brings us to…
Aristocrat Leisure
Aristocrat is the second ASX 200 share reporting an increased interim dividend payout today.
The gaming content and technology company also saw a big uptick in its revenue and profits over the six months.
Though judging by the 4.9% slide in the Aristocrat share price today, investors may have been expecting even more.
Over the six-month reporting period, Aristocrat reported a 12.2% increase in operating revenue to $3.08 billion.
This helped drive a 16.7% year on year increase in NPAT, which reached $619 million.
On the back of these results, management declared an interim fully franked dividend of 30 cents per share. That's up 15% from the interim dividend the ASX 200 share delivered last year.
Aristocrat trades ex-dividend next week, 25 May. If you want to bank the boosted payout, you'll need to own stock at market close next Wednesday.
The passive income from this ASX 200 company will then hit your bank account on 3 July.
