Jonas Elmerraji: 5 Big Stocks That Want to Pay You More in 2015

Johnson & Johnson is most people's idea of a textbook "dividend stock". At $278 billion in market value, JNJ is the biggest health care company on the planet, with a hand in everything from Band-Aids and Tylenol to prescription pharmaceuticals and medical devices. Johnson & Johnson currently pays out a 70-cent quarterly dividend, which adds up to a 2.8% yield at current market prices. JNJ currently carries more than $14 billion in net cash, a hefty cash cushion that helps to smooth out the firm's dividend paying abilities in 2015. Look for JNJ to announce a dividend hike next month.

General Motors, since the calendar flipped to January, GM has rallied more than 9.6%, stomping the broad market's barely-breakeven price action over the same stretch. A lot of that upside comes from the fact that GM announced a plan to return at least $5 billion to shareholders through buybacks by next year -- and management committed to return excess cash directly to investors. Dividend payouts have been a big part of GM's shareholder yield since it emerged from bankruptcy; shares currently yield 3.1% thanks to a 30-cent quarterly cash payout.

Phillips 66 is an independent refiner and gas station franchisor, and it also owns a lucrative chemical business and more than 62,000 miles of pipeline. PSX owns 15 refineries spread all over the country, but it's been emphasizing its larger-margin businesses lately in a push to boost margins that just are there in the refining game. One side-effect of that change is less exposure to commodity risk. Look for PSX to part with some of that extra wherewithal in the form of dividends. In the meantime, the firm pays a 50-cent quarterly dividend check that adds up to a 2.7% yield.

PG&E serves 5.3 million electric and 4.4 million gas customers in Central and Northern California. That's an attractive market, in large part because the aggressive rate-setting done by state regulators to incentivize much-needed improvements in state infrastructure. PG&E generates power to cover approximately 40% of its own energy needs, through a portfolio of 120 power plans across the state. The firm currently pays a 45.5-cent quarterly dividend, which adds up to a 3.4% annual yield

Macy's operates approximately 840 department stores under the Macy's and Bloomingdale's banners, laying claim to two of the most historic (and valuable) retail chains in the U.S. The firm has been riding a recent upswing in consumer discretionary spending, benefitting from its upscale positioning and revamped merchandising initiatives. Expansion in Macy's private-label business offers a big opportunity for margin growth and differentiation. As exclusive products find more real estate on store shelves, Macy's starts to become an operating leverage story. The firm's first quarter earnings call in May looks like just the opportunity to announce a bigger dividend for shareholders