Dividend Scan: RDS-A, ENB, ROSS, HIG, GSK, AVY, DO, TRV, UTR, AVX, MAC

The trading at Wall Street remained negative as violent protests escalate in Egypt. Encouraging reports on retail sales and unemployment claims failed to boost investors' confidence. Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 0.20 percent or 23.53 points to 12, 018.44. Nasdaq Composite index was down 0.39 percent or 10.69 points to 2,738.85, and the Standard and Poor's 500 index fell 0.34 percent or 4.49 points to 1,299.54. Amid the negative trend of the market, several companies declared their quarterly and annual dividends. Royal Dutch Shell Plc (NYSE: RDS-A) declared an interim dividend of $0.42 per ordinary share, payable on March 25, 2011. Shares of the company lost 3.88 percent or $2.85 to $70.58. Shares of Enbridge Inc. (NYSE: ENB) lost 1.62 percent or $0.96 to $58.24 despite the company raising its dividend by 15 percent to 49 cents per share, payable on March 1, 2011. Ross Stores Inc. (Nasdaq: ROSS) plans to boost its quarterly dividend by 38 percent to 22 cents per share. The stock is trading up 5.63 percent at $68.50. Shares of Hartford Financial Services Group (NYSE: HIG) gained 1.65 percent or $0.46 to $28.39 as the company declared a dividend of 10 cents per share, payable on April 1, 2011 to shareholders of record on March 1, 2011. Shares of GlaxoSmithKline Plc (NYSE: GSK) added 3.03 percent or $1.12 to $38.10 after the company raised its quarterly dividend by 7 percent. Avery Dennison Corporation (NYSE: AVY) decided to raise its dividend to 25 cents per share from 20 cents per share, payable on March 16, 2011 to shareholders of record on March 2, 2011. However, shares of the company were down 2.24 percent or $0.92 to $40.19 during the day. Diamond Offshore Drilling Inc. (NYSE: DO) announced a special quarterly cash dividend of $0.75 per share and a regular cash dividend of $0.125 per share, both payable on February 28, 2011 to shareholders of record on February 11, 2011. Shares of the company added 0.62 percent or $0.45 to $72.80 after the news. The Travelers Companies Inc. (NYSE: TRV) declared a quarterly dividend of 36 cents per share, payable on March 31, 2011, to shareholders of record on March 10, 2011. Shares of the company were up 0.62 percent or $0.35 to $57.06 after the news. Unitrin Inc. (NYSE: UTR) increased its quarterly dividend to 24 cents per share, payable on February 28, 2011, to shareholders of record on February 11, 2011. Shares of the company gained 1.75 percent or $0.48 to $27.91 during the day. AVX Corporation (NYSE: AVX) declared a dividend of $0.055 per common share, payable on March 7, 2011 to shareholders of record on February 18, 2011. However, shares of the company lost 2.46 percent or $0.39 to $15.46. Macerich Company (NYSE: MAC) announced a quarterly cash dividend of $0.50 per common share. Shares of Macerich added 0.32 percent or $0.15 to $48.31 in the afternoon trading.... Read more