S&P Dow Jones Indices Q4 net dividend payments increases $9.5B vs. Q3 drop of $2.3B

• Indicated dividend net changes (increases less decreases) for U.S. domestic common stocks increased $9.5B during Q4 vs. a decline of $2.3B in Q3 and a gain of $10.6B in year ago quarter, S&P Dow Jones Indices reported.
• For 2020, the net dividend rate fell $40.5B, compared to a gain of $45.4B for 2019.
• On a per share basis, S&P 500 Q4 dividend payments increased 4.8% to $14.64 from Q3's $13.97 and down 3.8% from year ago $15.21 payment.
• The percentage of non-S&P 500 domestic dividend-paying common issues decreased to 22.8% in Q4, down from 23.4% in Q3, and down from 28.0% in Q4.
• "Looking ahead to 2021, absent a failure on the COVID treatment side, dividends should be impressive with the S&P 500 expected to post a new record payment," said Howard Silverblatt, Senior Index Analyst at S&P Dow Jones Indices.
• Goldman Sachs expects S&P 500 index dividends to total about $508B in 2020, down 1%. In mid-April, the firm was forecasting a 23% drop.
• ETFs: DVY, VIG, SDY, SCHD, SDOG, NOBL, DLN, DHS, FDL, DTD, DGRW, FVD, PFM, DVYL, SDYL, DGRO, RDVY, DIVC
• Dividend Yield Theorist wrote, "The December 2020 watchlist stocks returned 2.64% last month while the fairly valued and undervalued picks returned 2.95%" in High Dividend Yield Stock Watchlist For January 2021.
• "7 Dividend Increases Expected In January 2021" by Dividend Diplomats on Seeking Alpha.