US stocks' net dividends increased by $16.05 billion in the second quarter! Alphabet's first dividend payment drives US dividend growth

US dividends increased by $16.05 billion in the second quarter, mainly due to Alphabet's first dividend distribution. Dividend payments for the S&P 500 Index in the second quarter increased by 1.2% compared to the first quarter, reaching $18.28 per share. A total of 539 companies increased their dividends, while 21 companies decreased their dividends. In addition, six major banks also raised their dividends by $3.5 billion. According to index analyst Howard Silverblatt, although the number of dividend increases has increased, it still lags behind the same period last year. It is expected that dividend growth will continue as the earnings season approaches