Dividend Aristocrat AbbVie (ABBV) will raise its quarterly dividend by 35.2 percent to $0.96 per share in the first quarter of 2018. This follows a 10.9 percent dividend hike in Q4 of 2017.

The cash dividend is payable May 15, 2018 to stockholders of record at the close of business on April 13, 2018. The new dividend yield for ABBV is 3.3%.

Since the company's inception in 2013, AbbVie has increased its dividend by 140 percent. AbbVie is a member of the S&P Dividend Aristocrats Index, which tracks companies that have annually increased their dividend for at least 25 consecutive years.

AbbVie Inc. is a research-based biopharmaceutical company. The company has business in four primary therapeutic areas: immunology, oncology, virology and neuroscience. AbbVie’s products are focused on treating conditions such as chronic autoimmune diseases in rheumatology, gastroenterology and dermatology; oncology, including blood cancers; virology, including hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV); neurological disorders, such as Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis; metabolic diseases, including thyroid disease and complications associated with cystic fibrosis; as well as other serious health conditions. Abbvie's Humira medicine (for treatment of psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis) is the world's best selling prescription medicine.  AbbVie became an independent company as a result of the distribution by Abbott Laboratories of 100% of the outstanding common stock of AbbVie to Abbott’s shareholders.