The Globe and Mail reports in its Tuesday edition that precious metal stocks like Barrick Gold, Silver Wheaton and Agnico Eagle Mines pop up when you cross-reference the one- and five-year dividend growth rates for blue-chip stocks. The Globe's Rob Carrick writes that this exercise is worthwhile if you are looking for investment candidates beyond the usual names of dividend growth stocks. Mr. Carrick says this is one way to build a list of candidates for further research if you are looking for companies with much higher growth rates in the past year than over the previous five years. Barrick Gold led the S&P/TSX 60 index in dividend increases in the past year with a hike of 50 per cent. Other miners with big dividend increases over the past year included Silver Wheaton and Agnico Eagle Mines, up 40 per cent and 25 per cent, respectively. Weak gold prices forced each of this trio to cut dividends during the past five years.