Stanley Black & Decker, Inc. SWK yesterday announced a reward for its shareholders in the form of an increase in the quarterly dividend payout rate. The increment marks its 53rd consecutive year of a dividend rate increase.We believe that such shareholder-friendly policies are reflective of the company’s strong cash position. Inside the HeadlinesAs revealed, the board of directors of Stanley Black approved a hike of 1.4% or one cent per share in the quarterly dividend rate. The revised rate now stands at 70 cents per share. On an annualized basis, the dividend increased to $2.80 per share from the previous rate of $2.76.Stanley Black will pay out the revised dividend on Sep 15, 2020, to shareholders of record as of Sep 1.Sound Shareholder-Friendly PoliciesThe company firmly believes in rewarding shareholders handsomely through dividend payments and share buybacks. Its dividend payout amounted to $2.70 per share in 2019, higher than $2.42 in 2017. Moreover, the company repurchased shares worth $583.3 million in three years (2017-2019).In first-quarter 2020, it distributed cash dividends of $105.6 million, up 8.2% from the year-ago quarter.Zacks Rank, Earnings Estimate Trend and Price PerformanceWith a market capitalization of $21.9 billion, Stanley Black currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). Amid the pandemic-induced difficulties, the company stands to benefit from solid product offerings, healthy U.S. retail channels and cost-savings measures.In the past three months, the company’s shares have gained 37.2% against the industry’s growth of 8.3%. Notably, the S&P 500 has risen 14.5% and the Zacks Industrial Products sector has grown 24.2% during the same period. Currently, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the company’s earnings is pegged at $5.84 for 2020 and $7.42 for 2021, marking increases of 16.1% and 9.9% from the respective 60-day-ago figures. Notably, there have been six upward revisions (versus one downward change) for 2020 and five upward revisions (versus one downward) for 2021 in the past 60 days.Stanley Black Decker, Inc. Price and Consensus Stanley Black Decker, Inc. price-consensus-chart | Stanley Black Decker, Inc. QuoteAlso, earnings estimates for the second quarter have improved from 11 cents to 84 cents per share in the past 60 days. Stanley black is slated to release its second-quarter results on Jul 30, 2020, before market open.Other Stocks to ConsiderSome other top-ranked stocks in the sector are II-VI Incorporated IIVI, Chart Industries, Inc. GTLS and Altra Industrial Motion Corp. AIMC. While II-VI currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), both Chart Industries and Altra Industrial carry a Zacks Rank #2. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.In the past 60 days, earnings estimates for these companies improved for the current year. Further, earnings surprise for the last reported quarter was 213.33% for II-VI, 16.33% for Chart Industries and 47.73% for Altra Industrial. Looking for Stocks with Skyrocketing Upside?Zacks has just released a Special Report on the booming investment opportunities of legal marijuana.Ignited by new referendums and legislation, this industry is expected to blast from an already robust $6.7 billion to $20.2 billion in 2021. Early investors stand to make a killing, but you have to be ready to act and know just where to look. See the pot trades we're targeting>>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Stanley Black Decker, Inc. (SWK): Free Stock Analysis Report Chart Industries, Inc. (GTLS): Free Stock Analysis Report IIVI Incorporated (IIVI): Free Stock Analysis Report Altra Industrial Motion Corp. (AIMC): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research