2012: The Most "Dividend-Friendly" Market In Years

According to Howard Silverblatt, senior index analyst at Standard and Poor's, 2012 has turned out to be the most "dividend-friendly" markets in years. Currently 403 out of the 500 companies in the S&P Index are paying dividends, the highest in nearly thirteen years. This past August set a record with $34 billion in cash payments according to Silverblatt.

There have been approximately 250 dividend increases so far in 2012, ahead of last year's 242 during the first nine months. The current pace is the best since at least 2003 data from Silverblatt has shown. The average dividend yield for the S&P 500 has increased from 1.9 percent in 2010 to 2.2 percent in 2012. "Given underlying fundamentals, low payouts and cash reserves, 2012 should set a record high for cash dividend payments, 16% above that of 2011," said Silverblatt in a note.

Source: StockHouse

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