Dividend Scan: RAI, HPY, ING, BHP, RCI, CMCSA, ALB, MTB, BAX, FFIC

The US market is trading on a positive territory amid a plethora of corporate earnings, and M&A activity. Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.55 percent or 67.81 points to 12,294.45. Nasdaq Composite added 0.79 percent or 22.19 points to 2,826.54, and the Standard and Poor's 500 was up 0.66 percent or 8.76 points to 1,336.77. During the day, several companies declared their annual and quarterly dividends. A few are discussed here -  Reynolds American Inc. (NYSE: RAI) increased its quarterly dividend by 8.2 percent to 53 cents per share from its previous 49 cents a share. Shares of the company added 0.69 percent or $0.23 to $33.46. Shares of Heartland Payment Systems Inc. (NYSE: HPY) gained 3.91 percent or $0.68 to $18.08 as the company raised its quarterly dividend to 4 cents per share from its previous 1 cent. Shares of ING Group NV (NYSE: ING) slipped 0.66 percent or $0.08 to $12.01 amid reports that the company plans not to pay dividend for 2010 as it focuses on paying back its debts. BHP Billiton Limited (NYSE: BHP) plans to pay a dividend of 46 cents per share less than an average forecast of 49 cents a share. Shares of the company were down 1.40 percent or $1.32 to $93.24 after the news. Rogers Communication Inc. (NYSE: RCI) raised its quarterly dividend to 35.5 Canadian cents per share from 32 Canadian cents. Shares of the company were down 0.65 percent or $0.23 to $34.97. Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA) declared an increase of 19 percent in its annual dividend to 45 cents per share from 37.8 cents. Shares of Albemarle Corporation (NYSE: ALB) added 0.76 percent or $0.44 to $58.21 as the company increased its regular quarterly dividend to $0.165 per share from $0.14. M&T Bank Corporation (NYSE: MTB) declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.70 per share on its common stock, payable on March 31, 2011 to shareholders of record on February 28, 2011. Shares of the company gained 0.84 percent or $0.75 to $90.19. Shares of Baxter International Inc. (NYSE: BAX) were up 1.18 percent or $0.61 to $52.22. The company declared a dividend of 31 cents per share, payable on April 1, 2011 to shareholders of record on March 10, 2011. Flushing Financial Corporation (Nasdaq: FFIC) declared a dividend of 13 cents per share, payable on March 30, 2011 to shareholders of record on March 9, 2011. However, shares of the company lost 0.20 percent or $0.03 to $14.68 during the day's trading.... Read more