NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - Apr 20, 2012) - With bond yields at historic lows investors have been flocking to dividend-paying stocks as a source of investment income. Dividend investing has been becoming increasingly popular among investors, and the resulting demand is driving up stock prices. In 2011, dividend stocks crushed the 2.1% gain for the S&P 500 Index, gaining an average of 8.3%. Five Star Equities examines the outlook for Dividend paying stocks and provides equity research on The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE: [ PG ]) and General Electric Company (NYSE: [ GE ]).

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Howard Silverblatt, S&P's senior index analyst, recently stated that the Standard & Poor's 500 Index companies have never paid more dividends than now. In 2012, S&P 500 companies are on pace to pay out a record amount in dividends -- $277 million or about $29.02 per index share.

"The pressure to introduce and increase dividends could get intense," said Joshua Peters, an equity analyst at Morningstar Inc. "Chief executives and corporate boards are going to start noticing that investors are rewarding dividend-paying stocks."

Five Star Equities releases regular market updates on Dividend paying stocks so investors can stay ahead of the crowd and make the best investment decisions to maximize their returns. Take a few minutes to register with us free at [ www.FiveStarEquities.com ] and get exclusive access to our numerous stock reports and industry newsletters.

Procter & Gamble Co. announced that its Board of Directors declared a 7 percent increase in the quarterly dividend from $0.525 to $0.562 per share on its Common Stock. This is the 56th consecutive year for which the company hiked its quarterly dividend. The increased dividend will be paid on May 15, 2012, to shareholders of record as of April 27, 2012.

General Electric Co. had previously reported that its board voted to hold its quarterly dividend steady at 17 cents. The largest U.S. conglomerate had raised its payout four times in 18 months, with the last hike coming in December and representing a cumulative 70 percent increase from the 10 cent per share.

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