| Technology stocks are no longer stingy when it comes to dividends. Among 10 industry groups in the Standard & Poor’s 500 index, tech stocks have become the second most-generous dividend payers. Tech accounts for 13.5 percent of total dividends paid, trailing only the 14.8 percent share of consumer staples stocks. |
| Tech has moved up the ranks in part because a few big tech companies have recently begun paying dividends, or will soon begin. Most notable is Apple, which plans to make regular payouts starting this summer. Before Apple’s announcement, tech accounted for a 10.3 percent share of S&P 500 dividends. |
| Below is a look at the four largest tech dividend-paying stocks: |
| Stock Thursday closing share price Annual dividend per share Dividend Yield Annual payments |
| Apple (AAPL) $622.77 $10.60 1.7 % $9.9 billion |
| Microsoft (MSFT) $30.98 80 cents 2.6 $6 billion |
| Intel (INTC) $28.48 84 cents 2.9 $4.3 billion |
| IBM (IBM) $205.32 $3.00 1.5 $3.5 billion |
| To be paid starting with Apple’s fiscal fourth-quarter, beginning July 1. |
| Source: S&P |