Income investors love Dividend Aristocrats (companies that have raised their payouts annually for 25 or more years) or even Dividend Kings (those with streaks of at least 50 years). It takes a strong company to build up such a long record of payout growth, and those dividends are extremely reliable.

However, often the biggest payout increases aren't delivered by Dividend Aristocrats or Kings, but instead by companies that have experienced rapid improvements in their results. Healthcare companies Cigna (NYSE: CI), Steris (NYSE: STE), and Bristol Myers Squibb (NYSE: BMY) fit that description. All combine recent revenue or earnings growth with sharply rising dividends.

Cigna offers health insurance, pharmacy services, and benefits management in 30 countries, including the United States. It operates in three segments: Cigna Healthcare for insurance, Evernorth benefits management, and its international markets segment. The company's stock price is up more than 25% this year, yet only trades at about 17 times earnings.

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Source Fool.com