Worst Dividend Quarter in 20 Years: The...
From Times Staff and Wire Reports
Worst Dividend Quarter in 20 Years: The just-completed first quarter represented the worst slump seen in companies’ dividends since the same period 20 years ago, Standard & Poor’s Corp. said. In the latest quarter, there were 304 dividend increases ordered by companies’ boards, the fewest since the 203 seen in the first quarter in 1971, S&P; said. At the same time, 70 payouts were cut and 79 omitted during the most recent quarter. Together, they exceeded the total number of cuts and omissions for any first quarter since S&P;’s Outlook investment advisory newsletter began compiling records in 1960.
