After last week’s virtual drought of company’s increasing dividends, this week we saw a bevy of high-profile firms upping their payouts. Some of the biggest names in a variety of sectors such as technology, tobacco and food all enhanced their relationship with shareholders. And despite a volatile stock market, concerns over a slowdown in the U.S. economy and the fiscal woes in Europe, many of the world’s biggest companies continue spreading the wealth to shareholders.

In fact, so far this year, there have been 248 dividend increases or dividend introductions by companies in the S&P 500, according to Standard & Poor’s. For all of last year, only 256 companies increased or introduced dividends. So for dividend hounds, it’s been a very good year indeed. Here are nine companies increasing dividends this week.

Alexandria Real Estate Equities (NYSE:ARE) is a real estate investment trust (REIT) that owns and operates properties for the life sciences industry. This week, the company went into its fiscal laboratory and mixed about a 4% dividend increase. The new dividend of 47 cents per share is payable Oct. 17 to shareholders of record as of Sept. 30. The new dividend yield, based on the closing price on Sept. 14 of $68.14 (the day the dividend was declared), is 2.76%.

Cracker Barrel Old Country Store (NASDAQ:CBRL) served up a down-home plate of freshly baked dividends, upping its payout by a tasty 14% to 25 cents per share. The new dividend will be payable on Nov. 7 to shareholders of record as of Oct. 21. The company’s board also approved a new $65 million share buyback plan. The new dividend yield, based on the Sept. 13 closing price of $40.56, is 2.47%. The dividend increase came despite a decline in the company’s fiscal fourth-quarter profits of 36%. Cracker Barrel also provided lower-than-expected earnings outlook for the full year.

Danaher Corp. (NYSE:DHR) makes commercial test and diagnostic instruments, and this week it made a positive diagnosis for shareholders by increasing its dividend payout by 25%. The new quarterly dividend of 2.5 cents per share is payable Oct. 28 to shareholders of record on Sept. 30. The new dividend yield, based on the Sept. 13 closing stock price of $44.17, is 0.23%.

DDR (NYSE:DDR) is a REIT that owns and manages more than 500 open-air shopping centers. Apparently, business is good at those locations, because DDR was able to raise its quarterly dividend by 50%. The new dividend is payable Oct. 11 to shareholders of record on Sept, 27. The new dividend yield, based on the Sept. 14 closing stock price of $11.40, is 2.11%. In addition to the change the company made in its dividend this week, it also decided to shorten its official name. DDR formerly was known as Developers Diversified Realty Corp.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) is a grocery store operator with locations in 31 states. Its stores include Kroger, City Market, Dillons, Food 4 Less, Ralphs and Smith’s. This week the company upped its quarterly payout by 10%, and it announced a $1 billion share buyback program. The new quarterly dividend of 11.5 cents per share is payable Dec. 1 to shareholders of record on Nov. 15. The new dividend yield, based on the Sept. 15 closing price of $22.61, is 2.03%. Kroger said it expects to buy back that $1 billion in shares during the next 12 months.

Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM) smoked up a higher quarterly dividend to its shareholders this week, as the company raised its quarterly payout by 20.3% to 77 cents per share. The company, which sells Marlboro and other brands outside of the United States, said the dividend will be paid on Oct. 11 to shareholders of record on Sept. 27. The new dividend yield, based on the Sept. 14 closing price of $67.59, is 4.56%.

Texas Instruments (NYSE:TXN) served up some Texas-sized dividend chips, raising its quarterly payout by 31% to 17 cents per share from 13 cents. The new dividend will be payable Nov. 21 to shareholders of record as of Oct. 31. The new dividend yield, based on the Sept. 15 closing price of $27.71, is 2.45%. The largest maker of analog semiconductor chips said the increase was due to a boost in sales of its analog and embedded processing technologies — technologies that traditionally generate a lot of cash. The dividend increase comes despite an earlier warning that third-quarter sales might fall short of earlier forecasts.

Umpqua Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ:UMPQ) is the bank holding company for Umpqua Bank, which provides commercial and retail banking services to corporate, institutional and individual customers in Northern California, Oregon and Washington. The company provided shareholders with a better dividend, upping its quarterly payout by 40% to seven cents per share. The new dividend is payable on Oct. 14 to shareholders of record as of Sept. 30. The new dividend yield, based on the Sept. 15 closing price of $9.88, is 2.83%.

Yum! Brands (NYSE:YUM) owns and operates fast-food giants Pizza Hut, KFC and Taco Bell, and this week the company cooked up a 14% increase in its quarterly payout. The new dividend of 28.5 cents per share is payable on Nov. 4 to shareholders of record on Oct. 14. The new dividend yield, based on the Sept. 14 closing price of $53.30, is 2.14%. Yum has consistently provided tasty dividends to shareholders, upping its payout each year since it began making dividend payments in 2004.

At the time of publication, Jim Woods held no positions in any of the stocks mentioned in this article.