...The 7 notable stocks below will be going ex-dividend during the week of January 9-13.

Written by Timothy J. McIntosh

Ex-dividend dates are very important for dividend investors to be aware of since you must own a stock prior to its ex-dividend date to be entitled to its dividend.

1. AbbVie Inc. (NYSE: ABBV) will go ex-dividend on Wednesday, January 11.

The pharmaceutical company will pay its $0.64 dividend on February 15. The stock currently offers a dividend yield over 4%, which is well above the industry average of 2%.

The company was spun off of its parent company Abbott in 2013. When considering its spin off, the company has a long history of boosting its dividends on an annual basis. Since 1973, AbbVie has raised its dividend every year consecutively. In 2016, AbbVie's share price increased by about 5%, compared to negative performance by the iShares Dow Jones US Healthcare ETF (NYSE: IYH).

2. Abbott Laboratories (NYSE: ABT ) is going ex-dividend on Wednesday, January 11.

The pharmaceutical company, which spun off AbbVie in 2013, will pay its next dividend of $0.265 on February 15. The stock currently has a dividend yield of about 2.7%, which is just over the industry average of 2%.

For over 44 years, Abbott has been raising its dividend every year by around 10%. Last year, the stock was down over 13%, underperforming its industry. Abbott recently increased its dividend from $0.26 in early December.

3. Campbell Soup Company (NYSE: CPB) will go ex-dividend on Monday, January 9.

The consumer packaged foods company will pay its next $0.35 dividend on January 30. The stock currently offers a dividend yield of 2.3%, which is above the industry average of 1.9%.

The company does not have a long history of dividend increases, but it did raise its dividend  by 10% for the first time in 2016 since 2013. Last year, Campbell's Soup share price increased by about 15%, compared to the First Trust Nasdaq Food & Beverage ETF (FTXG), which was flat in 2016.

4. Hormel Foods (NYSE: HRL) is going ex-dividend on Thursday, January 12.

The food company will pay its next $0.17 dividend on February 15. Currently, Hormel offers a dividend yield of 1.9%, which is well above the industry average of 0.80%.

Hormel has been increasing its dividend payout for over 50 years, since 1967. It recently boosted its dividend by 17%. Last year, the stock declined by 10%.

5. Yum! Brands, Inc. (NYSE: YUM) will go ex-dividend on Wednesday, January 11.

The restaurant company, which is the parent company of KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell, will pay its next $0.30 dividend on February 3. YUM has a dividend yield of approximately 1.90%, which is in-line with the industry average.

The stock has been increasing its dividend every year since 2009, typically by about 15%. Last year, Yum Brands declined by 13%.

6. Whole Foods Market, Inc. (NYSE: WFM) is going ex-dividend on Wednesday, January 11.

The grocery store will pay its next dividend of $0.14 on January 24. The stock currently offers a dividend yield of about 1.8%, compared to the industry average of 1.2%.

Whole Foods has been raising its dividend every year since 2012. In November, it raised its dividend from $0.135. Last year, the company's share price declined by 7%.

7. St. Jude Medical, Inc. (NYSE: STJ )  will go ex-dividend on Wednesday, January 11. The medical device company will pay its next $0.31 dividend on January 31. Currently, St. Jude Medical offers a dividend yield of 1.5%, which is well above the industry average of 0.8%.

The company has been consecutively raising its dividend every year since 2011.The stock increased about 30% in 2016, compared to the iShares Dow Jones US Medical Device ETF (NYSE: IHI), which increased 9% last year.