dividends

The chief executive of Royal Bank of Scotland has suggested the business will restart dividend payments to shareholders after 2013, by which time its restructuring phase should be complete.

ASIAN INCOME

UK dividends rose 18.4% in Q2 2012 to reach a record high of £22.6bn, fuelled by special dividends and strong underlying growth, according to the latest Capita Dividend Monitor.

The Foreign & Colonial investment trust is to move to quarterly dividend payments and raise its total dividend for 2012 by 20%, as part of an overhaul of its distribution policy.

MAM Funds is hoping to as much as double the assets in Gervais Williams' Diverse Income trust through a C-share issue.

The sheer size of US corporate cash piles could provide a boost to the wider economy this year, according to Capital Economics.

RBS could start paying dividends to preference shareholders again later this year, which could lead to a £400m capital raising.

As Apple announces it will pay a dividend for the first time since 1995, analysts and investors give their views on the landmark move by the tech giant.

A third of UK Equity Income funds slashed distributions to investors in 2011, despite a bumper year for UK-listed companies which saw dividend payouts hit an all-time high of £67.8bn.

Stuart Rhodes, manager of the £1.7bn M&G Global Dividend fund, on five of his favourite stocks.