Owens & Minor stunned many investors in October 2018 when it announced a 71% dividend cut. Shares fell more than 40% on the news as the medical supplies distributor broke its streak of paying uninterrupted dividends since 1977. The company's core customers (hospitals) were putting increased price pressure on the firm in an effort to [...]

Pfizer on Friday announced a 2.6% dividend increase for the first quarter of 2021, raising its quarterly payout from 38 cents per share to 39 cents.  However, the company still plans to lower its dividend to reflect the spin-off of its off-patent drug business (about 20% of profits), which closed in November after combining with generic drug [...]

AT&T on Friday kept its dividend frozen at 52 cents per share for the first quarter of 2021, unchanged from the prior four quarters.  This marked the first time in company history that the telecom, media, and entertainment giant has held its dividend flat for more than a year. To retain its status as a [...]

Compass Minerals has had a speculative Dividend Safety Score since 2017, reflecting the firm's poor dividend coverage, elevated leverage, and various operational missteps. Management has kept the dividend frozen since early 2017. During this period, shares of Compass Minerals have lost 5%, including dividends, while the S&P 500 has gained more than 70%. But under [...]