This Year's Biggest Dividend Stories

We have now passed the midpoint of 2010 and investors are collectively catching their breath from the market's wild ride since the beginning of the year. Sure the S&P 500 is down only 3% this year, but that doesn’t really reflect the market swings that investors have experienced this year. At the end of April, the market was actually up over 6% and it looked like an economic recovery was in full gear. Then European debt woes, the stock market “flash crash” and the Gulf oil spill all combined to bring investors back down to reality.... more

Automatic Data Processing: Strong Cash Flows Protect Dividend

Automatic Data Processing, Inc. (ADP), headquartered in Roseland, New Jersey, is one of the world's largest providers of business outsourcing solutions. Over 570,000 clients benefit from ADP's six decades of experience providing a wide range of human resources, payroll, tax filing and benefits administration solutions from this single source.... more

Maximus (MMS) Declares $0.12 Quarterly Dividend; 0.8% Yield

Maximus (NYSE: MMS) has declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.12 per share, or $0.48 annualized. The dividend is payable on August 31, 2010 to shareholders of record on August 16, 2010. The ex-dividend date is August 12, 2010. Yield on the dividend is 0.8%.... more

Montgomery Street Income Securities (MTS) Increases Quarterly Dividend 29% to $0.22; Yields 5.6%

Montgomery Street Income Securities, Inc. (NYSE: MTS) declared a dividend of $0.22 per share, or $0.88 annualized. The dividend is payable on July 30, 2010 to stockholders of record at the close of business on July 26, 2010. The ex-dividend date is July 22, 2010. Yield on the dividend is 5.6%. The increase in the dividend from previous quarters reflects an increase in investment income due to the completion of the transition to the Fund's new investment adviser and the resulting restructuring of the Fund's portfolio.... more

Allstate (ALL) Declares $0.20 Quarterly Dividend; 2.7% Yield

The Allstate Corporation (NYSE: ALL) today announced a quarterly dividend of $0.20 per common share, or $0.80 annualized. The dividend is payable in cash on Oct. 1, 2010 to stockholders of record at the close of business on Aug. 31, 2010. The ex-dividend date is August 27, 2010. Yield on the dividend is 2.7%.... more

International Paper (IP) Declares $0.125 Quarterly Dividend; 2.1% Yield

International Paper (NYSE: IP) today declared a regular quarterly dividend of $0.125 per share for the period from July 1, 2010, to September 30, 2010, inclusive, on its common stock, par value $1. The annualized rate on this dividend is $0.50. This dividend is payable on September 15, 2010, to holders of record at the close of business on August 16, 2010. The ex-dividend date is August 12, 2010. Yield on the dividend is 2.1%.... more

Weyerhaeuser Declares Special Dividend

Weyerhaeuser Co. (WY) moved a step forward in its plan to convert to a real estate investment trust (“REIT”) by rewarding shareholders through a one-time dividend payment. Weyerhaeuser’s board of directors declared the special dividend amounting to $5.6 billion payable on September 1. The special dividend is inclusive of the regular quarterly dividend payment of approximately $11 million, payable to shareholders of record as of July 22, 2010. The shareholders are given options for stock or cash selection, with total cash payments capped at 10%, or $560 million. Pro-rata distribution will be made in case cash elections exceed the total approved amount.... more

Fastenal Company (FAST) Raises Semi-Annual Cash Dividend For Eighth Consecutive Time

The Fastenal Company (Nasdaq: FAST) declared a dividend of $.42 per share to be paid in cash on September 3, 2010 to shareholders of record at the close of business on August 20, 2010. The Company expects that it will continue to pay a comparable semi-annual cash dividend in the foreseeable future, provided that any future determination as to payment of dividends will depend upon the financial condition and results of operations of the Company and such other factors as are deemed relevant by the Board of Directors. NOTE - The Company has increased its regular common share dividend semi-annually since Aug 17, 2006, at which time it paid out $0.20 per share. $0.21 per share was paid out on Feb 22, 2007, $0.23 on Aug 16, 2007. Feb and Aug \'08 payouts were $0.25 & $0.27 respectively.... more

Even These Stocks Can Pay You Back

Investors have gotten increasingly frustrated with companies that hoard their cash instead of putting it to better use -- like paying dividends to shareholders. But if you like a particular stock as an investment, but also need to draw income from it, there’s still a way to turn you shares into a stream of income. Hanging onto their money It’s not hard to understand why companies want cash on hand. After 2008’s financial crisis, it became nearly impossible to raise capital. Many companies had to resort to secondary offerings of stocks at bargain-basement prices just to stay in operation. AIG (NYSE: AIG) and Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac took deals from the U.S. government that nearly wiped out existing shareholders. Others, including Manulife Financial (NYSE: MFC) and DryShips... more

Face-Off on Stocks: Dividend-Paying Retail Plays

Retailers posted mixed results for June same-store sales, with some big surprises -- Abercrombie & Fitch (ANF) -- and some major disappointments -- Target (TGT). From specialty retailers to discounters and dollar stores, the retail sector offers some intriguing dividend-paying plays. For the bull and bear cases on Abercrombie, Target and Family Dollar (FDO), see the video below:... more