Companies included in the S&P 500 are continuing to increase dividends this year, and Standard & Poor’s says more than half of S&P 500 firms are expected to pay a higher cash dividend in 2005.

According to Standard & Poor’s data, 232 dividend increases occurred in the S&P 500 this year as compared to 208 for the same time period in 2003. As a result, the Indicated dividend rate on the S&P 500 is being raised from $19.65 to $20.25.

“The continuous stream of increases steams from the [U.S.] May 2003 tax reduction on dividends, aided by the current earnings recovery,” saidHoward Silverblatt, market equity analyst at Standard & Poor’s. “Since the inception of the tax cut, there have been 379 dividend increases and 24 initiations in the S&P 500.”

Year-to-date, dividend payers in the S&P 500 are outperforming non-payers 12.65% to 2.64%. Even though dividend increases continue to be dominated by financial companies, there is a continuance of positive activity from the Information Technology sector, the research firm notes.

Dividend-paying stocks historically have anchored many equity portfolios, and since 1926, dividends have accounted for 41% of the S&P 500’s return, the firm reports. Cash dividend payments are now at a record high, but payouts (34%) continue to be low by historical standards (54%). “Given the low payout ratio, the large build up in cash and the high earnings levels, Standard & Poor’s believes that dividend increases will continue and that non-paying issues will find themselves under increased pressure to either pay a dividend or justify their growth prospects,” said Silverblatt.

Standard & Poor’s now estimates that over half the S&P 500 will pay out more in cash dividends for 2005 than 2004.