US Finance World

The past year was the worst in decades for dividends. Even so, it wasn’t horrible.

Payments for companies in the S&P 500 index shrank 17% from their peak. Compare that with share prices, which fell about 60% from top to bottom; earnings, which briefly turned negative; and share repurchases, which all but disappeared. Also, much of the dividend damage was confined to giant banks with outsized influence on S&P 500 returns, including dividends. Beyond banks, more companies increased or initiated payments than trimmed or eliminated them.

For yield hunters, times are challenging mainly because of share prices, not payments. A market run-up has shrunk the S&P 500’s yield to a paltry 1.9% — less than half the historic yield for U.S. stocks. However, plenty of companies have announced payment increases in recent weeks, so the index’s indicated yield for 2010 is a touch higher, at about 2%. Below are

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With personal income turning stagnant, more shoppers may be looking for ways to save on apparel. Now, as retailers clear their racks of winter clothing and bring in their spring and summer lines, consumers may find added value in loyalty programs and a more practical approach to shopping.

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Verizon Wireless Up

Verizon Wireless (VZ) shares advanced early Tuesday after a report that Apple (AAPL) plans to release an iPhone for the Verizon network sometime in the next year.

The report in The Wall Street Journal sent Apple shares to a new high and gave a boost to Verizon as well. Currently, Apple’s iPhone works only on AT&T’s (T) network.

“Should VZ achieve handset parity — through the introduction of new handsets and, potentially, an iPhone — we would expect customer growth to accelerate and data [average revenue per user] to increase,” wrote Jeffries analyst Jonathan Schildkraut, who maintained a buy rating. However, the analyst notes that iPhone subsidies are the highest in the industry and Apple doesn’t share revenue from apps with the carrier. So increased a

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Top News

• GOOG: Google appears to be almost completely blocked in China.

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Traders looking for signs that the consumer is still kicking got a clear one Tuesday. The Conference Board’s consumer confidence index rebounded in March to 52.5, up from 46.4 in February, and well above economists’ expectations of a 51.0. The jump followed a 10-point drop in February, which had left the index at its lowest level since April 2009. A reading above 90 is considered healthy and above 100 suggests strong economic growth.

Still, there is a difference between still kicking and thriving. Lynn Franco, director of the Conference Board’s Consumer Research Center, said the index had recovered most of its February decline but warned the gains should be put in context. “Consumers continue to express concern about current business and labor market conditions,” she said in a statement. “And, their outlook for the next six months is still rather pessimistic. Overall, consumer confidence levels have not changed significantly since last spring.”

Traders appeared to agree, easing off stocks after the release of the report. A part

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