As of the close of yesterday (2/8/2011), the indicated dividend rate on the S&P 500 has increased more than the full 2 month Feb,’10 turnaround period
January got off to a strong start, with February, as expected, surging ahead
All 51 changes YTD have been increases, averaging 20.08%, with a median of 10.84%

I expect the increases to continue strong throughout the month, beating the $4.9 billion set in 2007, and marking a return to ‘normal’ dividend actions
There are five fundamental reasons that lead me to this projection:
Corporate earnings have significantly rebounded from their recession levels, and are now approaching record levels
Low interest rates
Corporate cash on hand stands at an all time high
Payouts remain low, partly due to the speed of earnings improvement and the slower rate of dividend increases
Coverage rates, earnings divided by dividends are very high

Financials which have been increasing (I found 46 this morning which have increased at least 10 years in a row) should continue, with big name Financials expected later in the year – but don’t expect to get back to where we were to soon
Most Financial issues are still recovering
Portfolios, off-balance sheet items, housing, commercial real estate
Share counts are much higher
Fed – I’ll Be Watching You