NEW YORK, Dec. 16 (UPI) -- Standard & Poor's of New York said Thursday companies in its 500 Index are expected to pay out a record $185 billion in dividends this year.
"In general, rising dividends should indicate rising profits," said Joseph Lisanti, editor of Standard & Poor's weekly newsletter, The Outlook.
The record amount of dividends this year does not include Microsoft Corp.'s $32 billion payment on Dec. 2, because that was a special dividend.
The $185 billion anticipated this year compares with $160.8 billion last year. And next year, S&P expects companies to pay $200 billion to their shareholders.
Since the beginning of the year, 10 companies have initiated dividend payments and 264 have raised dividends. That compares with 21 companies starting them in 2003 and 237 raising them that year.
Some 376 companies on the S&P 500 now engage in these payouts, versus 370 a year ago.
