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Howard Silverblatt

Senior Index Analyst, Product Management, S&P Dow Jones Indices

Howard Silverblatt is Senior Index Analyst, Product Management, for S&P Dow Jones Indices (S&P DJI). In addition to general market research and commentary, Howard is responsible for the statistical analysis and commentary of S&P DJI’s family of U.S. Indices, including the world’s most followed stock market index, the S&P 500®.
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Aug 27, 2020

Dow Jones Industrial Average: 124 Years and It Keeps Changing

S&P Dow Jones Indices (S&P DJI) announced major changes to the 124-year-old Dow Jones Industrial Average® (The Dow®), effective on the same day (Aug. 31, 2020) as Apple’s (AAPL) four-for-one stock split. Specifically, Salesforce.com (CRM) will replace Exxon Mobil (XOM), Amgen (AMGN) will replace Pfizer (PFE), and Honeywell International (HON) will replace Raytheon Technologies (RTX)….

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Jul 21, 2020

The Beat Goes on for the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats

The S&P 500® Dividend Aristocrats® is an index comprising companies in the S&P 500 that have increased their annual cash payments for at least 25 years in a row. Dividends are a part of their culture and public appeal (income), as they broadly highlight their increases. In general, their increases are smaller but still constant,…

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Jul 16, 2020

What Is in Store for S&P 500® Dividends? Only Time and the Pace of Recovery Will Tell

In the first half of 2020, the total amount of dividends paid out by S&P 500 companies rose 5.1% on a year-over-year basis (see A YTD History of S&P 500® Dividend Increases, Cuts, and Suspensions). However, the forward declarations for Q3 2020 show a decline. With 84% declared for July 2020, the month is poised…

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Jul 13, 2020

A YTD History of S&P 500® Dividend Increases, Cuts, and Suspensions

Back in mid-February 2020, S&P 500 issues were easily on track to set their ninth annual record for dividend cash payments, as forecasts called for double-digit 2020 returns. By month-end February, 113 issues in the S&P 500, 22% of the index, had increased their dividends, with no cuts (and certainly no suspensions), and Q1 2020…

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Apr 15, 2020

Fantasies from a Dividend Perspective

Q1 2020 ended with record dividend payments for S&P 500® issues, as shareholders reaped the benefits of a 10-year bull market. March 2020 (and the first six trading days of April 2020), however, gave a glimpse of what Q2 2020 may look like, as dividend cuts and suspensions started to be announced, with suspensions more…

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Jun 20, 2016

Stay or Leave, the Brexit Vote Will Have an Impact

The latest weekend survey by the Daily Mail predicted the outcome of the June 23, 2016, U.K. vote in the “stay” column 45%-42%, as European markets either ralied or rebound on the news—depending on their timing and view of the situation.  The vote, which has been talked about for a while, came to the front…

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Mar 18, 2015

SmallCap Dividends: We all laughed at technology dividends a dozen years ago

From the end of 2013 there has been a 10.2% increase in the number of issues paying a dividend in the S&P SmallCap 600. Initiating a dividend represents a broad commitment of future earnings, to which companies need to be very sure of their future cash-flow.  On an index market-size level, SmallCap yields remains at…

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Mar 6, 2015

Apple Set to Join the Dow Jones Industrial Average

S&P Dow Jones Indices announced that Apple (AAPL) will be added to the Dow Jones Industrial Average, replacing AT&T (T), after the close of business on March 18, 2015; release attached. All data is based on last night’s close, and will be finalized after the close of March 18, 2015.  American Telephone & Telegraph was…

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Jul 16, 2014

S&P 500 Pensions and OPEB: good for companies, not good for our retirement

S&P has released their annual S&P 500 Pension report (which is available on its website at www.spdji.com or directly at bit.ly/1jPIDiE ). The short bottom line is that, in aggregate, pensions and OPEBs have become an acceptable and manageable expense for S&P 500 issues with respect to their underlying assets, earnings and cash-flow. For individuals,…

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Jun 18, 2014

Caught between a rock and hard place – Congress

Caught between a rock and hard place – Congress, and in an election year no less (definitely a commentary, and not a company endorsed position) Congress needs money – to spend (extending existing programs), and raising taxes only tends to be popular when the payer doesn’t pay taxes (or pays very little) or doesn’t contribute…

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