Just noticed ConocoPhillips ($COP) bumped its quarterly payout by 8% - now at $0.84 per share. The raise came right after they posted solid output growth along with results topping forecasts. 

Feels like oil names might be turning into steady income picks once more, instead of just boom-or-bust bets
Oil demand’s holding strong while U.S. output keeps rising, so firms like $COP feel upbeat about coming months. 

To be honest, I didn’t think energy stocks would boost payouts much this year - yet that's exactly what’s happening.

What’s your take - should we keep an eye on energy payouts these days?