Investors love earning dividends, and over the past year, thousands of companies have rewarded shareholders with boosted payouts. But lately, some companies have been cutting back on or eliminating dividends altogether. Here's a look at five that made this unpopular move, and why.
The S&P 500 is one of the most followed stock market index in the world. Mutual fund managers benchmark their returns against it, yet somehow the vast majority underperform the index every year. Many dividend investors choose to ignore the index, and instead focus on its components.
When it comes to telecom, Verizon is a pretty obvious leader, but what about the rest of the pack? This look at the top fifteen telecom stocks gives a hint at where the industry is right now...and where it's headed.
Regional phone companies CenturyLink and Qwest Communications plan to get hitched. Under the merger deal announced Thursday morning, Qwest shareholders will receive the equivalent of $6.02 a share in CenturyLink stock -- representing a 15% premium over Qwest's Wednesday closing price.