U.S. Companies Add $8 Billion to Dividend Payments in 4th Quarter; $26.5 Billion Added in 2010 ; U.S. Investors Expected to Saved $74 Billion On Dividend Tax Extension

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NEW YORK, Jan. 6, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Standard & Poor's, the world's leading index provider, announced today that of the approximately 7,000 publicly owned companies that report dividend information to Standard & Poor's, only 28 decreased their dividend payment during the fourth quarter of 2010 marking a continued improvement from the 74 that lowered their dividend payment during the fourth quarter of 2009. Dividend increases rose 43.8% during the fourth quarter to 696 from the 484 recorded during the fourth quarter of 2009.

"Dividend investors hit the trifecta in 2010," says Howard Silverblatt, Senior Index Analyst at S&P Indices. "Dividend increases were up 45%, decreases declined 82%, and best of all, the forward indicated dividend rate increased over 8% implying a much better year for dividend income in 2011."

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U.S. Companies Add $8 Billion to Dividend Payments in 4th Quarter; $26.5 Billion Added in 2010 ; U.S. Investors Expected to Saved $74 Billion On Dividend Tax Extension

For the year, 145 issues have decreased their dividend payment compared to 804 in 2009, with the associated decrease of income being $2.8 billion for 2010 (versus $58.0 billion in 2009). Increases rose to 1729 from the 1191 registered in 2009 with the...

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