Core Insights - Three major companies in the apparel, homebuilding, and consumer staples sectors have announced increases in their quarterly dividends, indicating a trend of returning more capital to shareholders [2] Company Summaries - **Nike (NKE)**: - Nike has a market capitalization exceeding $95 billion, making it the most valuable U.S. stock in the textiles, apparel, and luxury goods industry [3] - Despite a 39% decline in share price over the past three years, Nike's dividend yield has increased to over 2.5%, approximately double the yield from three years ago [4][7] - The quarterly dividend will rise by 3% to 41 cents per share, payable on January 2, 2026, to shareholders of record as of December 1 [5] - **PulteGroup (PHM)**: - PulteGroup ranks as the third most valuable homebuilding stock in the U.S. and has outperformed the SPDR S&P Homebuilders ETF with a total return of over 17% [5][6] - The company has maintained a firm strategy on home prices, resulting in a 3% increase in the average selling price of homes, while competitors like D.R. Horton experienced a 3% decline [6] - PulteGroup's gross margin stands at 26.4%, the highest in its industry, compared to D.R. Horton's 20.8% [6]