How Long Can Dividend Stocks Rule?

What a long strange trip it's beenTwo years ago, you might not have thought we'd ever get to this point. Back then, the history of dividend-paying stocks had been turned upside down, as more companies were cutting their payouts than raising them. During the second quarter of 2009, Standard and Poor's said that fewer companies raised their dividends than ever before -- just 233, which was less than the 250 that made dividend cuts in the same period. Fast-forward to today, however, and the picture is entirely different. Last quarter, 444 companies paid more in dividends than in the previous quarter. Meanwhile, dividend cuts were practically nonexistent, with just 21 companies wielding a knife to their payouts.... Read more