The Big Dividend Heist
Published Tue, 31 May 2011 on The Motley Fool

All could happen. But there's something simple American corporations could do today that would dramatically boost the appeal of the stock market: increase the dividend payout ratio back to historic averages. The dividend payout ratio -- dividends as a percentage of earnings -- on the S&P 500 Index has plunged to its lowest level in modern history. The current payout ratio, 29%, is less than half its long-term average:... Read more