NEW YORK (Reuters) – Dividend payments to investors in the S&P 500 rose to a new record in 2020, up 0.7% to $58.28 per share from the previous record set in 2019, according to research from S&P Global.
A record dividend payment in the first quarter of 2020, and a stronger than expected payment in the fourth quarter led to record payouts to investors, the ninth straight annual record, according to research from Howard Silverblatt, senior index analysts for S&P and Dow Jones indices.
While the S&P 500 index hit its lowest since 2016 in the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic, the U.S. stock index has since reached record highs.
(Reporting by Kate Duguid; Editing by Chris Reese)