More S&P 500 Companies Paying Dividends

As of June 30, 400 of the S&P 500 companies pay dividends,the highest level since 1999. Ten S&P members have initiateddividends so far this year, and 22 did so in 2011.

Source: S&P Dow Jones Indices

Polishing the Apple

Tech giant Apple announced in March that it would begin paying adividend for the first time since 1995. Its quarterly dividend of$2.65 a share means Apple will pay a total of $9.9 billion a year,the third highest total for an S&P 500 company.

Tech Taking Over?

In March, Dell also initiated a dividend, a quarterly payout of8 cents a share. Howard Silverblatt of S&P Dow Jones Indicessays technology companies are now the second biggest payer ofdividends, after consumer staples. “If Google started paying atabout the same rate as Apple, technology would be the biggest payerof dividends in the market.”

Going Against the Trend

Retailer J.C. Penney, which has seen sales drop as it tries tomove away from discounting merchandise, announced in May that itwill eliminate its quarterly dividend of 20 cents a share. And inMarch, Diamond Foods, facing an investigation into accountingirregularities, eliminated its dividend.

Biggest Payers

ExxonMobil, which boosted its dividend to 57 cents a quarterthis year, pays out the most in dividends, at $10.7 billion.AT&T is in second place, paying out $10.4 billion.

Highest Yielders

As of Friday, July 20, Pitney-Bowes was the highest-yieldS&P 500 company, with a dividend equal to 11.1% of its shareprice, followed by Frontier Communications at 10.7% and Windstreamat 10.1%.

Long-time Payers

Bank of New York Mellon has paid a dividend every year since1785. JP Morgan has the second longest record, having paid adividend since 1827.