Friday, August 27, 2010

Laura Franks Dividend Note No. 29 for Bexley Public Radio.

This is my Dividend Note No. 29 as of August 17, 2010.



Even in unsettled financial times, increased dividends are a breath of fresh air.

These are fifty-three companies which increased their dividends during the last week of July and the first two weeks of August. Most are American companies. Companies that caught my eye as involved in interesting lines of business:

Toromont Industries Ltd. Is a large Caterpillar dealer in Canada.

Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers is pretty much what its name describes. It conducts large industrial auctions. By chance on a recent Sunday drive on I-70, west from Columbus and near Springfield, we saw one of the building locations for Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers.

Stella-Jones makes treated wood products in Canada.

Broadridge Financial Solutions has provided the technology proxy and other corporate communications for 90% of public companies

CAE, Inc. builds flight simulators.

Textainer Group Holdings, Ltd is the world’s largest supplier of intermodal containers

Euroseas Ltd. is the enterprise controlled by the Pittas family of Athens. The company has a fleet of sixteen ships dry bulk and containers. The company is 136 years old.

This is the list of companies reporting dividend increases.

Acme United
Aflac Incorporated
American Waterworks
Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance, Inc.
Autoliv Inc.
BCE
BreitBurn Energy BBEP
Broadridge Financial Solutions
Buckeye GP Holdings LP
CAE Inc.
Calian Technologies Ltd.
Carlisle Companies, Inc.
Chemed Corporation
Cincinnati Financial Corporation
CMS Energy Corporation
Computer Modeling Group Ltd.
Connecticut Water Service, Inc.
Delphi Financial Group, Inc.
Dover
Euroseas Ltd.
Exco Resources, Inc.
Federal Realty Investment Trust
Harleysville Group Inc.
Hawkins, Inc.
Helios High Yield Fund
Illinois Tool Works Inc.
Knightsbridge
Lawson Products, Inc.
Leggett and Platt
Leon’s Furniture Inc.
Monsanto
Newalta Corporation
Nordson
Nustar GP Holdings
Omnicare, Inc.
Parker Hannifin Corporation
Questar Corporation
Quicksilver Gas Services LP
Republic Services
Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers
Safety Insurance Group, Inc.
Scotts Miracle-Gro
Span-America
Stella-Jones
Steris STE
Territorial Bancorp, Inc.
Textainer Group Holdings, Ltd
Torchmark Corporation
Toromont Industries Ltd
Tower Group, Inc.
T S and W/Claymore Tax-Advantaged Balanced Fund
W and T Offshore , Inc.
Yamana Gold


Acme United Corporation (AMEX: ACU) August 4, 2010, Fairfield, CT, declared a cash dividend of 6 cents per share on its outstanding common stock. This represents an increase of 20 percent over each of the previous eight quarterly dividends. The dividend is payable on October 21, 2010 to stockholders of record on the close of business on October 1, 2010.

Walter C. Johnsen, Chairman and CEO said, "I am pleased to announce the increased quarterly dividend. Our business continues to perform well and we expect to generate strong cash flow and solid earnings. Acme United has just completed its strongest quarter ever in earnings per share."

Acme United is a specialized supplier of cutting devices, measuring instruments, and safety products for school, home, industrial and office use. Its leading brands include Westcott(R), Clauss(R), Camillus(R), and PhysiciansCare (R).

Aflac Incorporated (NYSE: AFL) August 10, 2010, Columbus, GA, announced that its board of directors approved a 7.1% increase in the quarterly cash dividend, effective with the fourth quarter payment. The fourth quarter dividend of $.30 per share is payable on December 1, 2010, to shareholders of record at the close of business on November 17, 2010.

The company also announced its intent to resume share repurchase activities. Since first initiating a share repurchase program in 1994, the company has purchased 232.1 million shares. Aflac suspended its share repurchase program in the fourth quarter of 2008, following the onset of the financial crisis. At the end of June 2010, the company had 32.4 million shares available for repurchase under authorizations from the board of directors.

Commenting on the announcements, Aflac Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Daniel P. Amos stated: "I am very pleased with today's action by our board of directors to approve an increase in the cash dividend effective with the fourth quarter payment. This action is consistent with the expectations we have expressed throughout the last several quarters. Extending our lengthy track record of dividend increases is important to Aflac and to those who own a part of this company. This increase will mark the 28th consecutive year in which we have raised the dividend.

"I'm also pleased to announce the resumption of Aflac's share repurchase program. As we have frequently conveyed, our primary focus throughout 2009 and into this year has been on building capital. This conservative approach has resulted in Aflac's strong U.S. and Japanese capital adequacy ratios. Our strong capital position, combined with relative stability in global credit markets, gives us confidence to resume repurchasing our shares. Depending on market conditions, we may purchase up to three million shares as early as the fourth quarter of this year. We currently anticipate buying six to 12 million shares in 2011.

"Going forward, we will continue to prudently balance our objectives of maintaining strong capital ratios while growing earnings at a pace we believe our owners will find attractive. For 2010, we remain focused on increasing operating earnings per diluted share by approximately 10% before the effect of foreign currency. Our goal for 2011 of increasing operating earnings by 8% to 12% before the impact of foreign currency remains unchanged."

In the United States, Aflac is the number one provider of guaranteed-renewable insurance. In Japan, Aflac is the number one insurance company in terms of individual insurance policies in force. Aflac insurance products provide protection to more than 50 million people worldwide.

American Waterworks Co., Inc. (NYSE: AWK) July 30, 2010, Voorhees, NJ, announced today that its board of directors increased its quarterly cash dividend payment by five percent from $0.21 to $0.22 per share.
The regular quarterly cash dividend is payable on September 1, 2010 to all shareholders of record as of August 18, 2010.
"We are pleased with the board's decision to increase our dividend as it reflects our solid financial performance to-date," said Don Correll, president and CEO of American Water. "This is our ninth consecutive declaration since going public in 2008."
This year, American Water also announced American Water Stock Direct, a dividend reinvestment and direct stock purchase plan, which enables stockholders to reinvest cash dividends and purchase additional American Water common shares without any brokerage commissions or service charges.

Founded in 1886, American Water is the largest investor-owned U.S. water and wastewater utility company. With headquarters in Voorhees, N.J., the company employs more than 7,000 dedicated professionals who provide drinking water, wastewater and other related services to approximately 16 million people in 35 states and Ontario and Manitoba, Canada.

Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance, Inc. (NYSE: ARI) August 11, 2010, New York, NY, announced that its board of directors has increased the company's dividend to $0.40 per common share for the quarter ending September 30, 2010. The dividend is payable on October 12, 2010 to common shareholders of record on September 30, 2010. The Company's third quarter 2010 dividend represents an increase of 14% over the prior quarter and an annualized dividend yield of approximately 9.6%.

Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance, Inc is a commercial real estate finance company that originates, invests in, acquiring and managing senior performing commercial real estate mortgage loans, commercial mortgage-backed securities, and other commercial real estate-related debt investments in the U.S. The Company is externally managed and advised by ACREFI Management, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, an indirect subsidiary of Apollo Global Management, LLC.

Autoliv Inc. (NYSE: ALV) August 17, 2010 Stockholm, Sweden announced an increase of the company's quarterly dividend to shareholders by 17% to 35 cents per share from 30 cents per share to be paid in September for the third quarter.

The fourth quarter dividend will be payable on Thursday, December 9, 2010 to Autoliv shareholders of record on the close of business on Thursday, November 4, 2010. The ex-date, when the shares will trade without the right to the dividend, will be Tuesday November 2.

Autoliv Inc. develops and manufactures automotive safety systems for all major automotive manufacturers in the world. Together with its joint ventures, Autoliv has 80 facilities with approximately 41,000 employees in 29 countries. In addition, the Company has ten technical centers in nine countries around the world, with 21 test tracks, more than any other automotive safety supplier. Sales in the last twelve months amount to $6.5 billion. The Company's shares are listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: ALV) and its Swedish Depository Receipts on the OMX Nordic Exchange in Stockholm (ALIV sdb).

BCE Inc. (TSX, NYSE: BCE) August 5, 2010, Montreal, Canada, is Canada's largest communications company. It reported BCE and Bell
results for the second quarter of 2010, and announced a 5% increase in its annual common share dividend 
and improved financial guidance for 2010.


BCE reported improved financial performance with net earnings applicable to common shares growing by
70.5% to $590 million. In addition, Bell had revenue growth of 4.5%, reflecting strong TV and wireless 
revenue growth of 11.6% and 9.6%, respectively, and the inclusion of revenues from The Source and Virgin 
Mobile Canada (Virgin); operating income growth of 30.6%; EBITDA growth of 3.3%; wireless gross
subscriber activations of 480,639 and postpaid net activations of 102,754; and TV net activations of 9,775.


These results demonstrate continued progress in the execution of Bell's 5 Strategic Imperatives - Improve
Customer Service, Accelerate Wireless, Leverage Wireline Momentum, Invest in Broadband Networks and
Services, and Achieve a Competitive Cost Structure.

"The 5% hike in our common share dividend also announced today - the second such increase this year
- is supported by our improved earnings outlook and maintains BCE's payout ratio conservatively toward
the low end of our policy range of 65% to 75% of increased Adjusted EPS guidance for 2010. The dividend
increase will also be readily funded from our Free Cash Flow with no material impact on our projected cash
balance for year-end 2010 of approximately $500 million," said Mr. Siim Vanaselja, chief financial officer.

BreitBurn Energy Partners L.P. (NASDAQ: BBEP) July 30, 2010, Los Angeles, CA, announced a cash distribution of $0.3825 per unit for the second quarter 2010, or $1.53 per unit on an annualized basis, for all of its outstanding units. This distribution represents an increase from the first quarter distribution of $0.3750 per unit, or $1.50 per unit on an annualized basis. The distribution will be payable on August 13, 2010 to the record holders of common units at the close of business on August 9, 2010.

BreitBurn Energy Partners L.P. is a California-based publicly traded independent oil and gas limited partnership focused on the acquisition, exploitation, development and production of oil and gas properties. These producing and non-producing crude oil and natural gas reserves are located in Northern Michigan, the Los Angeles Basin in California, the Wind River and Big Horn Basins in central Wyoming, the Sunniland Trend in Florida, and the New Albany Shale in Indiana and Kentucky. See www.BreitBurn.com for more information.

Broadridge Financial Solutions (NYSE:BR) August 3, 2010, Lake Success, NY announced that its board of directors has declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.15 per share. The dividend is payable on October 1, 2010, to stockholders of record at the close of business on September 15, 2010. The annual dividend amount was increased from $0.56 per share to $0.60 per share, an approximate 7% increase, subject to the discretion of the board of directors.

Broadridge is a technology services company focused on global capital markets. Broadridge is the market leader enabling secure and accurate processing of information for communications and securities transactions among issuers, investors and financial intermediaries. Broadridge builds the infrastructure that underpins proxy services for over 90% of public companies and mutual funds in North America; processes more than $3 trillion in fixed-income and equity trades per day; and saves companies billions annually through its technology solutions.

Buckeye GP Holdings LP (NYSE: BGH) August 6, 2010, Houston, TX, reported net
income attributable to BGH for the second quarter of 2010 of $11.5 million, or $0.41 per common unit, compared to net income of $9.8 million, or $0.35 per common unit, for the second quarter of 2009. BGH recorded operating income of $71.9 million for the second quarter of 2010, compared to an operating loss of $35.4 million for the second quarter of 2009. The operating loss in the second quarter of 2009 was primarily the result of special charges of $100.6 million recorded by Buckeye Partners, L.P. (“Buckeye”) to recognize an asset impairment and expenses related to organizational restructuring.

BGH owns Buckeye GP LLC, which owns the general partner interest and incentive distribution rights associated with Buckeye, and reports its financial results on a consolidated basis inclusive of the financial results of Buckeye. BGH currently has no operating activities separate from those conducted by Buckeye, and its cash flow is derived solely from cash distributions received from Buckeye and Buckeye’s operating subsidiaries through its ownership of Buckeye GP LLC.

The board of directors of MainLine Management LLC, the general partner of BGH, declared a regular quarterly partnership cash distribution of $0.45 per common unit, or $1.80 per common unit on an annualized basis, payable on August 31, 2010 to unitholders of record on August 16, 2010. This cash distribution represents an increase in the quarterly distribution rate of 4.7 percent compared to the most recent cash distribution of $0.43 paid in May 2010 and an increase of 21.6 percent compared to the quarterly cash distribution of $0.37 paid with respect to the second quarter of 2009.

“Various factors, including acquisition growth in 2009, our best practices initiative, and positive market trends, have led to strong second quarter financial results at Buckeye that support another increase in the quarterly cash distributions payable to the unitholders of BGH,” said Forrest E. Wylie, Chairman and CEO of BGH’s general partner. “As we see signs of improving economic conditions, we remain optimistic that the underlying cash flow from Buckeye will continue to support growth in cash flow to BGH.”

Buckeye GP Holdings L.P. is a limited partnership that owns Buckeye GP LLC, the general partner of Buckeye Partners, L.P., which owns 100 percent of the incentive distribution rights in Buckeye Partners, L.P. Buckeye GP Holdings L.P. also indirectly owns the general partner interests in certain operating subsidiaries of Buckeye Partners, L.P.

CAE Inc. (NYSE: CAE; TSX: CAE) August 11, 2010, Saint-Laurent, Quebec, Canada, reported financial results for the first quarter ended June 30, 2010. Net earnings were C$39.4 million (C$0.15 per share), compared to C$27.2 million (C$0.11 per share) in the first quarter of last year, which included an after-tax restructuring charge of C$18.9 million (C$0.07 per share). Revenue was C$366.7 million, 4% lower compared to C$383.0 million in the first quarter last year. All financial information is in Canadian dollars.

“We are in the early stages of a market recovery and I am encouraged that in our first quarter we saw higher demand for civil training,” said Marc Parent, CAE’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “We are well positioned to benefit from the civil market recovery. We are also tracking toward another year of good order intake in our combined Military segments, anticipating 10-12% revenue growth.”

Mr. Parent added, “We have been able to maintain good margins in difficult market conditions. Based on our confidence in CAE’s business model and prospects, the Board of Directors has increased the quarterly dividend from $0.03 to $0.04 which will be paid on September 30, 2010 to shareholders of record at the close of business on September 15, 2010.”

CAE Inc. is provides simulation and modeling technologies and integrated training services primarily to the civil aviation industry and defense forces worldwide. The company designs, develops, manufactures and supplies simulation tools and equipment and provides a range of training and other modeling and simulation-based services. This includes integrated modeling, simulation and training solutions for commercial airlines, business aircraft operators, aircraft manufacturers and military organizations. It also operates a global network of training centers serving pilots and maintenance staff. Its main products include full-flight simulators (FFSs), which replicate aircraft performance in an array of situations and environmental conditions. Visual systems simulate hundreds of airports around the world, as well as a range of landing areas and flying environments.

Calian Technologies Ltd. (TSE: CTY) August 8, 2010, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, announced an increase to its quarterly dividend and declared a quarterly dividend of $0.22 per share. The dividend is payable September 1, 2010 to shareholders of record as of August 18, 2010. Dividends paid by the Corporation are considered "eligible dividend" for tax purposes.

Calian sells technology services to industry and government in Canada and around the world. Calian provides customers with ready access to an exceptional team of engineers, telecommunications and technology professionals, health care professionals and other highly qualified staff. The Business and Technology Services Division augments customer workforces with flexible short and long-term placements, recruitment and outsourcing of engineering, health care professionals and other skilled professionals. The Systems Engineering Division plans, designs and implements solutions for many of the world's space agencies and leading communications satellite manufacturers and operators, as well as providing contract manufacturing services for customers in North America.

Carlisle Companies, Inc. (NYSE: CSL) August 6, 2010, Charlotte, NC, declared a 6.3% increase in the Company’s regular quarterly dividend, to $0.17 per share from $0.16 per share. The dividend is payable on September 1, 2010 to shareholders of record at the close of business on August 17, 2010.

This marks the 34th consecutive year of dividend increases for Carlisle shareholders.

Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer David A. Roberts commented, “We are very proud to be able to continue Carlisle’s long history of rewarding Carlisle’s shareholders by increasing our dividend.”

Carlisle is a diversified global manufacturing company serving the construction materials, commercial roofing, specialty tire and wheel, power transmission, heavy-duty brake and friction, heavy-haul truck trailer, refrigerated truck body, foodservice, aerospace, and test and measurement industries.

Chemed Corporation (NYSE: CHE) August 6, 2010, Cincinnati, OH, announced that the board of directors has declared a quarterly cash dividend of 14 cents per share on the company's capital stock, payable on Sept. 7 to shareholders of record as of Aug. 16.

The company said this is a 2-cent, or 16.7 percent, increase over the 12-cent dividend paid in the second quarter of 2010. The previous dividend increase was in August 2009, when the Board raised the dividend from 6-cents to 12-cents per share.

This represents the 157th consecutive quarterly dividend paid by Chemed in its 39 years as a public company.

Headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, Chemed operates two subsidiaries: Vitas Healthcare and Roto-Rooter. Vitas is a provider of end-of-life hospice care, and Roto-Rooter is a provider of plumbing and drain cleaning services.

Cincinnati Financial Corporation, (NASDAQ: CINF) August 16, 2010, Fairfield, OH, announced that the board of directors voted at its regular meeting on August 13, 2010, to increase the regular quarterly cash dividend from 39.5 cents to 40 cents per share, payable October 15, 2010, to shareholders of record as of September 22, 2010.
At the new level, the indicated annual dividend is $1.60 per share. In 2009, cash dividends paid were $1.565 per share and dividends declared were $1.57 per share.

Kenneth W. Stecher, president and chief executive officer, commented, "The company has consistently increased dividends for 49 years, and the board of directors chose to continue that record for the benefit of our shareholders. This action demonstrates their confidence in our strong capital, liquidity and in our initiatives to improve earnings performance. Our capital management philosophy continues to consider the balance between future capital requirements to grow our business and returning capital to shareholders over time.

"In the first half of 2010, our profits were pressured by continuing price competition in the insurance marketplace and high catastrophe losses incurred by our policyholders. Year-to-date, shareholders have received cash dividends totaling more than our current earnings, and for their benefit, we also repurchased $10 million of our own shares. We believe our performance prospects are improving as we begin to realize benefits from our current growth and profitability initiatives. Our long-term perspective drives our long-term commitment through all market and economic cycles to create value for shareholders by investing in and expanding our insurance operations."

Cincinnati Financial Corporation offers business, home and auto insurance, its main business, through The Cincinnati Insurance Company and its two standard market property casualty companies. The same local independent insurance agencies that market those policies may offer products of our other subsidiaries, including life and disability income insurance, annuities and surplus lines property and casualty insurance.

CMS Energy Corporation (NYSE: CMS) August 6, 2010, Jackson, MI, CMS Energy announced today, that effective with the dividend payable Nov. 30, it will increase its quarterly common stock dividend to 21 cents per share, up from 15 cents per share. This increase moves up the company's typical practice of raising its dividend in January, and was made at this time to coincide with an adjustment to its five-year plan.

The company plans to reduce its investments by about $1 billion over the next five years, which will moderate future rate increases to its customers. The company still expects to invest more than $6 billion over the next five years in the operations of its Michigan electric and natural gas utility, Consumers Energy, and it remains one of the largest investors in the state of Michigan.

Consistent with the change in its capital investment plan, CMS Energy also said it is adjusting its projection for long-term earnings per share growth to 5 percent to 7 percent annually from the previous range of 6 percent to 8 percent per year.
John Russell, the president and chief executive officer of CMS Energy, said the increases in the quarterly dividend will bring the company's dividend more in line with the industry and reflects the confidence that the company has in its "Growing Forward" strategy.

"Despite reducing capital expenditures, the company will continue to invest heavily in Michigan to maintain and improve service to customers," Russell said. "Along with investments to improve customer service, we'll continue making substantial investments in energy efficiency, renewable energy, and environmental quality programs. We plan to remain Michigan's leader in the development of clean, renewable energy."

CMS Energy is a Michigan-based company that has an electric and natural gas utility, Consumers Energy, as its primary business and also owns and operates independent power generation businesses.

Computer Modeling Group Ltd. (TSX: CMG) August 10, 2010, Calgary, Alberta, Canada announced a 6% increase in its quarterly dividend to $0.19 per share on CMG’s Common Shares. The dividend will be paid on September 15, 2010 to shareholders of record at the close of business on September 3, 2010. Computer Modelling Group Ltd. is a computer software technology and consulting company serving the oil and gas industry. CMG, recognized by oil and gas companies worldwide as a leading developer of reservoir modelling software, has sales and technical support services based in Calgary, Houston, London, Caracas and Dubai. CMG is the leading supplier of advanced processes reservoir modelling software in the world with a blue chip client base of international oil companies and technology centers in approximately 50 countries. All dividends paid by Computer Modelling Group Ltd. to holders of Common Shares and Non-Voting Shares in the capital of Computer Modelling Group Ltd. will be treated as eligible dividends within the meaning of such term in section 89(1) of the Income Tax Act (Canada), unless otherwise indicated.

Connecticut Water Service, Inc. (NASDAQ: CTWS) August 12, 2010, Clinton, CT, announced that the board of directors approved an annualized dividend increase of two cents per common share, or 2.2%, above the current cash dividend. The quarterly cash dividend on common shares was increased to $0.2325 per quarter from $0.2275. The increased dividend will be effective with the dividend declared by the Board on common shares payable on September 15, 2010, for shareholders of record as of September 1, 2010. The Company’s annual dividend yield is about 4.3%.

Eric W. Thornburg, Connecticut Water’s President and CEO, stated, “Connecticut Water’s Board of Directors decided that a two cent increase in the annual dividend rate was appropriate because the Company’s fundamentals remain strong. We remain focused on our long-term strategy of delivering solid performance for our shareholders and world class service to our customers.” Mr. Thornburg notes that Connecticut Water has paid dividends on common stock each quarter since its founding in 1956 without interruption or reduction and has increased dividend payments for each of the last 41 years.

Connecticut Water’s board of directors also declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.20 per share on Preferred A shares (not publicly traded) payable on October 15, 2010, for shareholders of record as of October 1, 2010, and a quarterly cash dividend of $0.225 on Preferred 90 (OTCBB: CTWSP) shares on November 1, 2010, for shareholders of record as of October 18, 2010.

Delphi Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE: DFG) August 5, 2010, Wilmington, DE, announced a cash dividend of $0.11 per share for the third quarter, 2010. This is a ten percent increase in the dividend compared to the dividend paid in the prior quarter. Robert Rosenkranz, chairman and chief executive officer, said “This dividend increase reflects our confidence in our capital position ad in our earnings outlook.”

Delphi Financial Group is an integrated employee benefit services company. Delphi is manages all aspects of an employee absence from work for health reasons.

Dover Corporation (NYSE: DOV) August 5, 2010, Downers Grove, IL, increased its quarterly cash dividend to $0.275 (twenty-seven and one half cents) per share, from the previous $0.26 (twenty-six cents) per share, an increase of 6%. This is the 55th consecutive year in which Dover has paid an increased cash dividend.

This increased dividend will be paid on September 15, 2010 to shareholders of record as of August 31, 2010.

Dover Corporation is a global portfolio of manufacturing companies providing innovative components and equipment, specialty systems and support services for a variety of applications in the industrial products, engineered systems, fluid management and electronic technologies markets.

Euroseas Ltd. (NASDAQ: ESEA) August 3, 2010 Maroussi, Athens, Greece - August 3, 2010, an owner and operator of dry bulk carriers and container vessels and provider of seaborne transportation for dry bulk and containerized cargoes, announced today that the company's board of directors has declared a dividend of $0.06 per common share for the second quarter of 2010. The dividend is payable on September 03, 2010 to all shareholders of record as of August 25, 2010. This is the 20th consecutive quarterly dividend since the company accessed the capital markets in August 2005 and signifies an increase of 20% over the last quarter's dividend.

Furthermore, the company announced today that it will release its financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2010, on Tuesday, August 10, 2010, after the market closes in New York. The following day, Wednesday, August 11, 2010, at 10:00 am EDT, the Company's management will host a conference call and webcast to discuss the results.

Aristides Pittas, Chief Executive Officer of Euroseas, stated, "We have been one of the very few companies able to continue paying dividends during the biggest shipping crisis since the early eighties. This, despite the fact that the crisis for containerships, which comprise the biggest part of our fleet, has been much deeper and longer than for drybulk vessels. We are now increasing our dividend as we are gaining confidence that the apparent recovery and normalisation of the container market will assist our company to return to profitability by 2011. Our strategy of growing the company with investments in both the drybulk and container markets as opportunities arise whilst rewarding our shareholders with significant dividends remains unaltered."

Euroseas Ltd. was formed on May 5, 2005 under the laws of the Republic of the Marshall Islands to consolidate the ship owning interests of the Pittas family of Athens, Greece, which has been in the shipping business over the past 136 years.

Euroseas operates in the dry cargo, drybulk and container shipping markets. Euroseas' operations are managed by Eurobulk Ltd., an ISO 9001:2000 certified affiliated ship management company, which is responsible for the day-to-day commercial and technical management and operations of the vessels. Euroseas employs its vessels on spot and period charters and through pool arrangements.

The company has a fleet of 16 vessels, including 4 Panamax drybulk carriers and 1 Handymax drybulk carrier, 3 Intermediate containership, 5 Handysize containerships, 2 Feeder containerships and a multipurpose dry cargo vessel. Euroseas` 5 drybulk carriers have a total cargo capacity of 331,808 dwt, its 9 containerships have a cargo capacity of 17,787 teu and its multipurpose vessel has a cargo capacity of 22,568 dwt or 950 teu.

Exco Resources, Inc. (NYSE: XCO) August 5, 2010, Dallas, TX, announced that its board of directors declared a third quarter cash dividend of $0.04 per share, a $0.01 per share (33%) increase from the previous quarterly rate of $0.03 per share. The dividend is payable on September 15, 2010 to holders of record on August 31, 2010.

Any future declaration of dividends, as well as the establishment of record and payment dates, is subject to the approval of EXCO's Board of Directors.
EXCO Resources, Inc. is an oil and natural gas exploration, exploitation, development and production company headquartered in Dallas, Texas with principal operations in East Texas, North Louisiana, Appalachia and West Texas.

Federal Realty Investment Trust (NYSE: FRT) August 4, 2010, Rockville, MD, announced that its board of trustees increased the dividend rate on its common shares, declaring a regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.67 per share, resulting in an indicated annual rate of $2.68 per share, an increase of 1.5%. The regular common dividend will be payable on October 15, 2010, to common shareholders of record as of September 23, 2010. This increase represents the 43rd consecutive year that Federal Realty has increased its common dividend, the longest record of consecutive annual dividend increases in the REIT sector.

"Our strong performance throughout 2009 and to date in 2010 supports our decision to raise our common dividend and continue our record of dividend achievement," said Don Wood, president and chief executive officer. "Owning and operating a portfolio of high quality retail assets, combined with a solid balance sheet and our disciplined approach to external growth has resulted in consistent performance as we negotiate this difficult economic environment."

Federal Realty Investment Trust is an equity real estate investment trust specializing in the ownership, management and redevelopment of high quality retail assets. Federal Realty's portfolio (excluding joint venture properties) contains approximately 18.2 million square feet located primarily in strategically selected metropolitan markets in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and California. In addition, the Trust has an ownership interest in approximately 1.0 million square feet of retail space through a joint venture in which the Trust has a 30% interest. Our operating portfolio (excluding joint venture properties) was 94.2% leased to national, regional, and local retailers as of June 30, 2010, with no single tenant accounting for more than approximately 2.7% of annualized base rent. Federal Realty has paid quarterly dividends to its shareholders continuously since its founding in 1962, and has increased its dividend rate for 43 consecutive years, the longest record in the REIT industry.

Harleysville Group Inc. (NASDAQ: HGIC) August 6, 2010, Harleysville, PA, board of directors increased the company’s regular quarterly cash dividend by 11 percent to
$0.36 per share from $0.325 per share, or to an annualized $1.44 per share from $1.30 per share. The dividend is payable September 30, 2010, to shareholders of record on September 15, 2010. This marks the 97th consecutive quarter Harleysville Group has paid a dividend since the company went public in 1986.

At the same time, the board today authorized the company to repurchase up to an additional 800,000 shares, or approximately $25 million or about 3 percent, of its outstanding common stock through an open market purchase program.

“These actions reflect our strong balance sheet and our ongoing commitment to managing our capital position effectively for the benefit of our investors,” said Michael L. Browne, Harleysville Group’s president and chief executive officer. “This new stock repurchase program is our sixth since June 2007. We just completed our most recent stock buyback program and when this new one has concluded we will have repurchased approximately 22 percent of our outstanding shares since the middle of 2007. And, we’re proud of the fact that in our 24 years as a public company we’ve paid our shareholders a dividend every quarter and our dividend has increased every year.”

The board authorized Harleysville Group to make purchases for a two-year period in the open market or in privately negotiated transactions. Additionally, the board authorized Harleysville Group to make purchases under the terms of a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan, which allows the company to purchase its shares at times when it ordinarily would not be in the market because of self- imposed trading blackout periods, such as the time preceding its quarterly earnings releases. The company currently intends to repurchase shares in open market transactions from the public float, and not repurchase shares from Harleysville Mutual Insurance Company, which owns 53 percent of Harleysville Group’s stock. The timing and terms will be based on market conditions, and will be conducted in accordance with the applicable rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Harleysville Insurance is a leading super-regional provider of insurance products and services for small and mid-sized businesses, as well as for individuals, and ranks among the top 70 U.S. property/casualty insurance groups based on net written premiums. As a Trusted Choice® company partner, Harleysville distributes its products exclusively through a network of independent agents primarily across 32 states.

Hawkins, Inc. (NASDAQ: HWKN) July 28, 2010, Minneapolis, MN, announced its regular semi- annual dividend and a special dividend.

The board of directors of Hawkins, Inc. has authorized a regular semi-annual cash dividend of $0.30 per share. In addition, due to the company’s strong cash position driven by its financial performance in fiscal 2010, the board of directors has authorized a special dividend of $0.10 per share to be paid concurrently with the regular dividend.

The dividends, totaling $0.40 per share, are payable October 8, 2010, to shareholders of record at the close of business on September 24, 2010. This is the 26th consecutive year that Hawkins has paid cash dividends since it first began paying out dividends in 1985.

Hawkins, Inc. distributes, blends and manufactures bulk and specialty chemicals for its customers in a wide variety of industries. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and with 20 facilities in 11 states, the Company creates value for its customers through superb customer service and support, quality products and personalized applications.

Helios High Yield Fund (NYSE: HHY) August 6, 2010, New York, NY, announced that its board of trustees raised the monthly dividend to $0.065 from $0.060 per share, payable on August 26, 2010 to stockholders of record on August 20, 2010. Based on the NYSE closing price of $8.97 on August 5, 2010, the fund's annualized dividend yield is 8.70%.
Dividends may include net investment income, capital gains and/or return of capital. The dividend yield referenced above is calculated as the annualized amount of the most recent monthly dividend declared divided by the stated stock price.
Based on the fund's monthly income and the recent addition of leverage, the board of trustees, at the advice of the portfolio management team, raised the dividend as it better reflects the current earnings of the Fund.

Helios High Yield Fund is managed by Brookfield Investment Management Inc., an SEC-registered investment advisor specializing in core fixed income, high yield, structured products (Commercial MBS, Residential MBS and ABS) as well as global REITs and listed infrastructure securities. Headquartered in New York, the firm had approximately $23 billion of assets under management(i) as of June 30, 2010. Brookfield Investment Management Inc. is a subsidiary of Brookfield Asset Management Inc., a global asset manager focused on property, power and other infrastructure assets with approximately $100 billion of assets under management as of June 30, 2010.

Illinois Tool Works Inc. (NYSE: ITW) August 6, 2010, Glenview, IL, board of directors of Illinois Tool Works Inc. declared a regular quarterly cash dividend of 34 cents per share or $1.36 per share on an annual basis. As a result of the company’s strong free operating cash flow, the quarterly increase of 3 cents per share—12 cents per share annually—represents a 10 percent increase over the current dividend rate.

The newly-increased dividend will be paid on Wednesday, October 13, 2010 to stockholders of record on Thursday, September 30, 2010.

With $13.9 billion in 2009 revenues, ITW is a multi-national manufacturer of a diversified range of value-adding and short-lead time industrial products and equipment. The Company consists of nearly 800 business units in 57 countries and employs approximately 59,000 people.

Knightsbridge Tankers Limited (NASDAQ: VLCCF) August 11, 2010, Hamilton, Bermuda Based on the second quarter results and its profitable forward contract coverage, Knightsbridge is pleased to announce an increase in dividend from the previous quarter and has decided to declare a dividend of $0.50 per share. This is an increase from the first quarter 2010 cash dividend of $0.40 per share.

In June 2010, the company acquired the Capesize vessel "Golden Future" from Golden Ocean Group Limited ("Golden Ocean") for a purchase price of $72 million. The Golden Future was built at the Zhoushan Jinhaiwan Shipyard Co., Ltd. and completed in February 2010. The vessel is employed on a time charter with a minimum term of 35 months from February 2010 at a gross rate of $31,500 per day. The vessel was delivered to Knightsbridge in July 2010.
Knightsbridge paid $25 million of the purchase price of the Golden Future by issuing to Golden Ocean 1,464,515 restricted common shares. The Company has arranged bank debt of $47 million to finance the remaining portion of the purchase price. 
The Golden Future will be the third Cape-size vessel in the Knightsbridge fleet, and Golden Ocean is acting as the commercial manager for all the three vessels. Following the above the Company's three Cape-size vessels are on time charters expiring between 2013 and 2014 with an average time charter rate of approximately $41,400/day.
In July 2010, the Company secured a long term debt facility of $58 million for its VLCC fleet in order to refinance existing debt, which was due in February 2011. 
The Company's VLCC fleet is fixed on time and bareboat charters expiring between 2011 and 2012, except for the VLCC M/T Mayfair which is trading in the spot market.

Lawson Products, Inc. (NASDAQ: LAWS) August 17, 2010, Des Plainse, IL, announced a dividend of $.08 per share on common shares, an increase of $.02 from the previous quarter. The dividend is payable October 12, 2010 to stockholders of record on September 28, 2010.

Lawson Products is a North American distributor and marketer of systems, services and products to the industrial, commercial, institutional, and governmental maintenance repair and operations (MRO) marketplace. The company also manufactures, sells and distributes production and specialized component parts to the original equipment marketplace (OEM) including the automotive, appliance, aerospace, construction, and transportation industries. The majority of its sales are generated through a network of approximately 1,500 independent sales agents. The Company operates in two segments: MRO Segment and OEM Segment. The Company offers approximately 240,000 different products for sale of which approximately 180,000 products are maintained in inventory. Substantially all of its products are manufactured by others, purchased in bulk and repackaged in smaller quantities for sale to its customers.

Leggett and Platt (NYSE: LEG) August 4, 2010, Carthage, MO, Leggett & Platt's board of directors announced today that they are raising the company's quarterly dividend by one cent per share, or 3.8%, to $.27 per share for the third quarter. The dividend will be paid on October 15, 2010 to shareholders of record on September 15, 2010.
At an annual indicated dividend of $1.08 per share, the yield is 5.2%, based upon yesterday's closing stock price of $20.88 per share.
Leggett & Platt is a diversified manufacturer that conceives, designs and produces a broad variety of engineered components and products that can be found in most homes, offices, and automobiles. The 127-year-old firm is comprised of 19 business units, 20,000 employees, and more than 140 manufacturing facilities located in 18 countries.
Leggett & Platt is the leading independent U.S. manufacturer of: a) components for residential furniture and bedding; b) components for office furniture; c) drawn steel wire; d) automotive seat support and lumbar systems; e) carpet underlay; f) power foundations; and g) bedding industry machinery.

Leon’s Furniture Inc. (TSE: LNF) August 17, 2010 Weston, Canada, directors declared an increase in the quarterly dividend from 7 cents per common share to 9 cents per common share payable on the 8th day of October 2010 to shareholders of record at the close of business on the 8th day of September 2010. As of 2007, dividends paid by Leon's Furniture Limited are "eligible dividends" pursuant to the changes to the Income Tax Act under Bill C-28, Canada.

For the three months ended June 30, 2010, total Leon's reported sales were $212,277,000 including $45,493,000 of franchise sales ($209,931,000 including $44,693,000 of franchise sales in 2009), an increase of 1.1%. Net income was $11,873,000, 17 cents per common share ($8,620,000, 12 cents per common share in 2009), an increase of 41.7% per common share.

For the six months ended June 30, 2010, total Leon's sales were $413,396,000 including $87,821,000 of franchise sales ($405,131,000 including $87,368,000 of franchise sales in 2009), an increase of 2.0% and net income was $23,843,000, 34 cents per common share ($17,191,000, 24 cents per common share in 2009), an increase of 41.7% per common share.

For the second quarter of 2010, the company reported higher sales and a significant improvement in profits when compared to the second quarter of 2009. Higher sales reflect a general improvement in the economy. The profit improvement was mainly the result of three key factors: higher sales compared to the prior year's quarter; an improvement in our gross margin which was aided by the strengthening of the Canadian dollar along with a more favourable product mix; and the continuation of improved productivity and expense controls that were initiated in the prior year.

"Although we are satisfied with the results year to date, believe that we must remain vigilant for the balance of 2010 in order to continue to improve the performance of our Company. Pursuant to our robust expansion plans announced last quarter, construction is well on its way on a new 73,000 sq. ft. facility in Thunder Bay, Ontario which we plan to open before the end of this year. We will soon begin construction on a new 84,000 sq. ft. building in Regina, Saskatchewan that we plan to open by the spring of 2011. In addition, we have signed leases for a 76,000 sq. ft. store in Guelph, Ontario and a 46,700 sq. ft. store in Rosemère, Quebec. We anticipate the opening of these showrooms, which will be completely renovated, by the summer of 2011. We also plan major renovations and additions to be complete by the end of the year at our Sault St. Marie and Sudbury stores. Finally, we have just recently signed two new franchises; Collingwood and Fort Frances, Ontario with anticipated grand openings this fall.

The directors have also approved, subject to obtaining regulatory approvals, the continuation of the company's ongoing Normal Course Issuer Bid, which expires on September 9, 2010. Pursuant to the continued bid, the company intends, in the twelve months commencing September 10, 2010, to purchase up to the lesser of 4.99% of its common shares outstanding on August 30, 2010, and the amount equal to 4.99% of its Common Shares outstanding on the date the Toronto Stock Exchange accepts the notice of intention to make a normal course issuer bid.

Since September 10, 2009, the date on which Leon's current issuer bid commenced, the company has purchased 413,317 Common Shares at an average price of $10.38 per share. The company's board of directors believes that the purchase of its common shares is an appropriate use of its corporate funds, given its very strong liquidity position.

Monsanto Company (NYSE: MON) August 4, 2010, St. Louis, MO, announced that its board of directors declared an increase in the quarterly dividend on its common shares from 26.5 cents per share to 28 cents per share. The dividend is payable on Oct. 29, 2010 to shareowners of record on Oct. 8, 2010.

Chief Financial Officer Carl Casale said dividends are a key element of Monsanto's approach to using its strong cash position to benefit shareowners.

"The dividend increase leverages Monsanto's cash generation power to reward shareowners, and expresses our confidence in the long-term growth potential of our business," Casale said.

Monsanto's three-pronged approach to using its cash position to benefit its owners revolves around providing direct return through dividends and share repurchases, as well as using cash for strategic acquisitions and capital spending.
In June, Monsanto announced a new three-year share repurchase program, effective July 1, 2010, for up to $1 billion of the company's common stock. Monsanto executives have said the company is positioned for earnings growth in the mid-teen percentages beyond the current fiscal year.

Monsanto Company is a leading global provider of technology-based solutions and agricultural products that improve farm productivity and food quality. Monsanto remains focused on enabling both small-holder and large-scale farmers to produce more from their land while conserving more of our world's natural resources such as water and energy.

Newalta Corporation (TSE: NAL) August 5, 2010, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, Newalta Corporation ("Newalta") (TSX:NAL) today announced financial results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2010.

In the second quarter, our markets were considerably stronger than a year ago with improved prices for the products we recover, stronger drilling activity and higher volumes at both VSC and SCL. As a result, revenue was up $25.5 million, or 23%, and Adjusted EBITDA(1) grew by $8.3 million, or 46%.

Year-to-date revenue was up $44.2 million, or 20%, and Adjusted EBITDA was up $25.4 million, or 85%, from last year. Trailing twelve month Adjusted EBITDA was $107.6 million, or $2.22 per share. Adjusted EBITDA as a percent of revenue in the first half was 20.7%, up from 13.4% in 2009.

"The outlook for all of our markets in the second half is much stronger than last year and we remain confident that solid gains in bottom-line performance will be realized in the quarters ahead," said Al Cadotte, President and CEO of Newalta.

The board of directors also approved a 30% increase in the quarterly cash dividend to $0.065 per share from $0.05 per share ($0.26 per share versus $0.20 per share per annum), starting with the dividend payable to shareholders of record as of September 30, 2010.

Newalta Corporation, formerly Newalta Inc., is a Canada-based company. It operates in two segments: Western segment and Eastern segment. The Western segment recovers and resells crude oil from oilfield waste, rents drill cuttings management and solids control equipment, provides environmental services, including environmental projects and drilling waste management, collects liquid and semi-solid industrial wastes, as well as automotive wastes, including waste lubricating oil, and provides mobile site services in western Canada. The Eastern segment provides industrial waste collection, pre-treating, transfer, processing and disposal services and operates a fleet of specialized vehicles and equipment for waste transport and onsite processing, a lead recycling facility and an emergency response service in central and eastern Canada. On January 1, 2009, Newalta Corporation, Newalta Industrial Services Inc. and Newalta Services Holdings Inc. were amalgamated to form Newalta Corporation.

Nordson Corporation (NASDAQ: NDSN) August 19, 2010 Westlake, OH reported third quarter sales that were strongly improved over the same period a year ago and all-time quarterly records for operating profit, net income and diluted earnings per share. For the quarter ending July 31, 2010, sales were $279 million, a 35 percent increase over sales in the prior year’s third quarter. The sales improvement included a 38 percent increase in volume partially offset by unfavorable currency translation effects. Third quarter operating profit was $68 million and net income was $55 million. Diluted earnings per share were $1.61, inclusive of a $0.31 tax benefit related to the previously announced sale of the company’s graphic arts UV curing product lines, an additional unrelated $0.01 one-time tax benefit, and a $0.01 restructuring charge. This earnings per share level is more than double that of the previous year’s third quarter.

“Our outstanding performance in the quarter clearly demonstrates that we are winning in the marketplace, capturing returning demand, and serving our customers with a more efficient model,” said Nordson President and Chief Executive Officer Michael F. Hilton. “Our global team continued to execute in every segment and every region and delivered the highest quarterly level of operating profit and net income in Nordson’s history. With this record performance, we continued to generate high levels of cash and increased our dividend for the 47th consecutive year.”

Nordson Corporation is one of the world’s leading producers of precision dispensing equipment that applies adhesives, sealants, liquid and powder coatings and other materials to a broad range of consumer and industrial products during manufacturing operations. The company also manufactures equipment used in the testing and inspection of electronic components as well as technology-based systems for UV curing and surface treatment processes. Headquartered in Westlake, Ohio, Nordson has direct operations and sales support offices in more than 30 countries.

Nustar GP Holdings (NYSE: NSH) August 2, 2010, San Antonio, TX, announced that distributable cash flow available to unitholders for the second quarter was $20.0 million, or $0.47 per unit, compared to $18.5 million, or $0.44 per unit, for the second quarter of 2009. Second quarter net income was $30.9 million, or $0.73 per unit, compared to $21.4 million, or $0.50 per unit, for the second quarter of 2009.

With respect to the quarterly distribution to unitholders for the second quarter of 2010, NuStar GP Holdings, LLC announced that its board of directors has declared a distribution of $0.46 per unit, which would equate to $1.84 per unit on an annual basis. This quarterly distribution represents an increase of $0.03 per unit, or 7.0 percent, over the $0.43 distribution for the second quarter of 2009 and an increase of $0.01 per unit, or 2.2 percent, over the $0.45 distribution for the first quarter of 2010. The second quarter 2010 distribution will be paid on August 18, 2010, to holders of record as of August 6, 2010.

"For a second consecutive quarter, I am pleased to report an increase in the distribution to our unitholders, which was driven by higher general partner distributions and higher incentive distribution rights paid to the general partner as a result of the NuStar Energy, L.P. equity offering completed in May 2010. Based on the projected benefits associated with NuStar Energy L.P.'s $500 million internal growth program, the potential exists for continued growth in distributable cash flows for NuStar GP Holdings, LLC," said Curt Anastasio, President and Chief Executive Officer of NuStar Energy L.P. and NuStar GP Holdings, LLC.

Omnicare, Inc. (NYSE: OCR) August 12, 2010, Covington, KY, declared a quarterly cash dividend of 3.25 cents ($0.0325) per share on its common stock. This represents an increase of 44.4% over the previous quarterly rate of 2.25 cents per common share. The dividend is payable on September 15, 2010 to stockholders of record on August 31, 2010.

Omnicare, Inc. is a provider of pharmaceutical care for the elderly. Omnicare serves residents in long-term care facilities, chronic care and other settings comprising approximately 1.4 million beds in 47 states, the District of Columbia and Canada. Omnicare is the largest U.S. provider of professional pharmacy, related consulting and data management services for skilled nursing, assisted living and other institutional healthcare providers as well as for hospice patients in homecare and other settings. Omnicare's pharmacy services also include distribution and patient assistance services for specialty pharmaceuticals. Omnicare offers clinical research services for the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries in 32 countries worldwide.

Parker Hannifin Corporation (NYSE: PH), August 12, 2010, Cleveland, OH, manufacturer of motion and control technologies, announced that its board of directors increased the company’s regular quarterly cash dividend to 27 cents per share of common stock and declared a dividend payable September 3, 2010 to shareholders of record as of August 23, 2010. This represents a 4 percent increase over the previous quarterly dividend of 26 cents per common share and is the company's 241st consecutive quarterly dividend, resulting in a total distribution to shareholders of approximately $44 million.

“This is the second dividend increase we have implemented this calendar year and it reflects the Board’s confidence in our financial strength and our ability to consistently generate strong cash flows,” said Tim Pistell, Executive Vice President – Finance and Administration and Chief Financial Officer. “Our results in fiscal year 2010 are evidence that we continue to improve the financial performance of the company. We generated increased operating margins, increased diluted earnings per share and increased cash flow from operations. Importantly, we demonstrated our ability to deliver much higher operating margin levels during this economic cycle than at the lowest point in past recessions.”

With annual sales of $10 billion in fiscal year 2010, Parker Hannifin is a diversified manufacturer of motion and control technologies and systems, providing precision-engineered solutions for a wide variety of mobile, industrial and aerospace markets. The company employs approximately 55,000 people in 46 countries around the world. Parker has increased its annual dividends paid to shareholders for 54 consecutive fiscal years.

Questar Corporation (NYSE: STR) August 10, 2010, Salt Lake City, UT, approved a $0.14 (14 cent) quarterly common stock dividend. The dividend, payable Sept. 13, 2010, to shareholders of record on Aug. 20, 2010, is a $0.01 increase from the previous quarter. This is the company’s 263rd consecutive dividend. Questar has increased its dividend 37 times in the last 38 years.


Questar is a Rockies-based integrated natural gas company with an enterprise value of about $4.2 billion and three complementary lines of business: Wexpro Company develops and produces natural gas from cost-of-service reserves for Questar Gas customers; Questar Pipeline Company operates interstate natural gas pipelines and storage facilities in the western U.S., and; Questar Gas Company provides retail natural gas distribution in Utah, Wyoming, and Idaho.

Quicksilver Gas Services LP (NYSE: KGS) July 22, 2010, Fort Worth, TX,
announced that the board of directors of its general partner has declared a cash distribution of $.42 per common unit for the 2010 second quarter, an increase of $.03 per common unit. This distribution will be paid August 13, 2010 on all common units to holders of record as of the close of business on August 3, 2010.

Quicksilver Gas Services is a growth-oriented limited partnership in the business of gathering and processing natural gas produced from the Barnett Shale geologic formation in the Fort Worth Basin of north Texas. The company began operation in 2004 to provide these services to Quicksilver Resources Inc., which owns our general partner.

Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE: RSG) July 29, ,2010, Phoenix, AZ, announced that its board of directors has approved a five percent increase in the company's regular quarterly dividend. The quarterly dividend of $0.20 per share will be paid on October 15, 2010 to shareholders of record on October 1, 2010.

"Republic has paid down more than $800 million of debt over the past 18 months and we continue to have strong free cash flow," said James E. O'Connor, Chairman and CEO of Republic Services, Inc. "We have a strong balance sheet and believe that it is extremely important for our stockholders to share in the Company's success through an increase in our quarterly dividend. This is the sixth time that we have increased our quarterly dividend since the program was introduced in 2003."

Republic Services, Inc. provides recycling and solid waste collection, transfer and disposal services in the United States. The Company's various operating units, including collection companies, transfer stations, recycling centers and landfills, are focused on providing reliable environmental services and solutions for commercial, industrial, municipal and residential customers.

Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers (NYSE and TSE: RBA), August 6, 2010, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, announced net earnings for the six months ended June 30, 2010 of $38.9 million, or $0.37 per diluted share, and adjusted net earnings of $38.2 million, or $0.36 per diluted share. This compares to financial statement net earnings of $58.7 million, or $0.56 per diluted share, and adjusted net earnings of $58.1 million, or $0.55 per diluted share, for the first half of 2009. Adjusted net earnings is a non-GAAP financial measure and is defined below. In the first half of 2010, the Company conducted 105 industrial auctions in 15 countries throughout North America, Europe, the Middle East, Central America, Asia and Australia. All dollar amounts in this release are presented in United States dollars.

Established in 1958, Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers (NYSE and TSX: RBA) is the world’s largest industrial auctioneer, selling more equipment to on-site and online bidders than any other company in the world. The Company has over 110 locations in more than 25 countries, including 42 auction sites worldwide. Ritchie Bros. sells, through unreserved public auctions, a broad range of used and unused industrial assets, including equipment, trucks and other assets utilized in the construction, transportation, agricultural, material handling, mining, forestry, petroleum and marine industries.

Safety Insurance Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: SAFT) August 4, 2010, Boston, MA, reported second quarter 2010 results. Net income for the quarter ended June 30, 2010 was $15.1 million, or $1.00 per diluted share, compared to $15.0 million, or $0.96 per diluted share, for the comparable 2009 period. Net income for the six months ended June 30, 2010 was $27.9 million, or $1.84 per diluted share, compared to $26.9 million, or $1.69 per diluted share, for the comparable 2009 period. Safety’s book value per share increased to $42.88 at June 30, 2010 from $41.20 at December 31, 2009. Safety paid $0.40 per share in dividends to investors during both the quarters ended June 30, 2010 and 2009. Safety paid $1.60 per share in dividends to investors during the year ended December 31, 2009.

The board of directors approved and declared an increase in the quarterly cash dividend from $0.40 to $0.50 per share on the issued and outstanding common stock, payable on September 15, 2010 to shareholders of record at the close of business on September 1, 2010.

The board of directors today also increased Safety’s existing share repurchase program by authorizing repurchase of an additional $30.0 million of Safety’s outstanding common shares. Previously, the Board of Directors had authorized up to $60.0 million under the program. Safety has previously purchased $55.5 million of its common shares on the open market under the program.

Scotts Miracle-Gro Company (NYSE: SMG) August 10, 2010, Marysville, OH, will pay a cash dividend approved by the board of directors of $0.25 per share is payable September 10, 2010 to shareholders of record on August 27, 2010. This quarterly dividend is increased to a rate that is double the current level

With approximately $3 billion in worldwide sales, The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company, through its wholly-owned subsidiary, The Scotts Company LLC, is the world's largest marketer of branded consumer products for lawn and garden care, with products for professional horticulture as well. The Company's brands are the most recognized in the industry. In the U.S., the Company's Scotts(R), Miracle-Gro(R) and Ortho(R) brands are market-leading in their categories, as is the consumer Roundup(R) brand, which is marketed in North America and most of Europe exclusively by Scotts and owned by Monsanto. In the U.S., it operate Scotts LawnService(R), the second largest residential lawn care service business. In Europe, the Company's brands include Weedol(R), Pathclear(R), Evergreen(R), Levington(R), Miracle-Gro(R), KB(R), Fertiligene(R) and Substral(R). For additional information, visit us at www.scotts.com.

Span-America Medical Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: SPAN) August 5, 2010, Greenville, NC, announced that its board of directors declared a regular quarterly dividend of $0.10 per share. The dividend is payable September 3, 2010, to shareholders of record on August 19, 2010.

"This payment of $0.10 per share represents an 11% increase in the dividend amount paid compared with the same period last year and highlights our strong balance sheet and solid earnings performance in fiscal 2010,” stated Jim Ferguson, president and chief executive officer of Span‑America. “Our dividend program continues to be an important part of our strategy to build long-term shareholder value, and this payment marks our 83rd consecutive quarter of paying cash dividends.”

Span-America manufactures and markets a comprehensive selection of pressure management products for the medical market, including Geo-Matt®, PressureGuard®, Geo-Mattress®, Span+Aids®, Isch‑Dish®, and Selan® products. The company also supplies custom foam and packaging products to the consumer and industrial markets.

Stella-Jones, Inc. (TSE: SJ) August 12, 2010, Montreal, Canada, board of directors of announced that a semi-annual dividend of $0.20 per share, representing an 11.1% increase over its previous semi-annual dividend, has been declared on the outstanding common shares of the Corporation, payable on October 8, 2010 to shareholders of record at the close of business on September 3, 2010. This dividend is designated to be an eligible
dividend.

Stella-Jones Inc. is a leading North American producer and marketer of industrial pressure treated wood products, specializing in the production of railway ties and timbers, as well as wood poles supplied to electrical utilities and telecommunications companies.

The company also provides treated consumer lumber products and customized services to lumber retailers and wholesalers for outdoor applications. Other products include marine and foundation pilings, construction timbers, highway guardrail posts and treated wood for bridges.

STERIS Corporation (NYSE: STE) August 3, 2010, Mentor, OH, announced financial results for its fiscal 2011 first quarter ended June 30, 2010. The Company also announced today that STERIS's board of directors has authorized a four cent increase in its quarterly dividend to $0. D15 per common share. The dividend is payable September 21, 2010 to shareholders of record at the close of business on August 24, 2010. STERIS Corporation provides infection prevention, decontamination and health science technologies, products and services. The Company has approximately 5,000 dedicated employees around the world working together to supply a broad array of solutions by offering a combination of equipment, consumables and services to healthcare, pharmaceutical, industrial and government Customers.

Territorial Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ: TBNK) August 5, 2010, Honolulu, HI, approved a quarterly cash dividend on its common stock of $0.07 per share. The dividend is expected to be paid on September 2, 2010 to stockholders of record as of August 19, 2010.

Allan Kitagawa, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, said, "We are pleased with our performance during the second quarter of 2010 in light of difficult economic conditions in Hawaii and throughout the country. We have experienced growth in our deposit base and loan portfolio despite these adverse conditions. We are especially pleased to announce a 40.0% increase in our quarterly cash dividend from $0.05 to $0.07 per share of common stock."

Textainer Group Holdings, Ltd (NYSE: TGH) August 11, 2010, Hamilton, Bermuda, board of directors approved and declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.25 per share on Textainer's issued and outstanding common shares, payable on September 1, 2010 to shareholders of record as of August 23, 2010. This dividend is an increase of $0.01 per share from the prior quarter and will be the twelfth consecutive quarterly dividend since Textainer's October 2007 initial public offering. Combined, these dividends have averaged 48% of net income attributable to Textainer Group Holdings Limited common shareholders excluding unrealized losses (gains) on interest rate swaps, net(1) during this period. The current dividend represents 42% of net income attributable to Textainer Group Holdings Limited common shareholders excluding unrealized losses (gains) on interest rate swaps, net(1) for the second quarter. Historically, Textainer has paid about 50% of net income attributable to Textainer Group Holdings Limited common shareholders excluding unrealized losses (gains) on interest rate swaps, net(1) in dividends, but the board of directors takes a fresh view every quarter and sets the dividend subject to various factors including cash needs for opportunities that may be available to us.

Textainer has operated since 1979 and is the world's largest lessor of intermodal containers based on fleet size. We have a total of 1.5 million containers, representing over 2.2 million TEU, in our owned and managed fleet. We lease containers to more than 400 shipping lines and other lessees. We lease dry freight containers, which are by far the most common of the three principal types of intermodal containers, as well as specialized and refrigerated containers. We have also been one of the largest purchasers of new containers among container lessors over the last 10 years. We are one of the largest sellers of used containers, having sold more than 100,000 containers last year to more than 1,000 customers. We provide our services worldwide via a network of regional and area offices and independent depots.

Torchmark Corporation (NYSE: TMK) August 12, 2010, McKinney, TX, announced that its Board of Directors has raised the quarterly dividend to $.16 per share on all of the outstanding common stock of the Company held of record as of the close of business of the Company's transfer agent on October 2, 2010. The dividend will be paid on November 1, 2010.

Torchmark Corporation is a holding company specializing in life and supplemental health insurance for "middle income" Americans marketed through multiple distribution channels including direct response, and exclusive and independent agencies. Torchmark has several nationally recognized insurance subsidiaries. Globe Life And Accident is a direct-response provider of life insurance known for its administrative efficiencies. American Income Life provides individual life insurance to labor union members. Liberty National Life is one of the oldest traditional life insurers in the Southeast. United American is a consumer-oriented provider of supplemental life and health insurance.

Toromont Industries Ltd. (TSE: TIH) August 12, 2010, Concord, Ontario, Canada board of directors approved a 7% increase in Toromont's regular quarterly cash dividend, marking twenty-one consecutive years of increasing dividends. A quarterly dividend at the new rate of 16 cents (Cdn) per share, payable October 1, 2010 to shareholders of record at the close of business on September 16, 2010, was declared by the board.

"This will be a year of significant transition at Enerflex as we complete the integration of the legacy business, realize identified synergies including disposal of redundant assets, reductions in working capital, and prepare for a recovery in the market," continued Mr. Ogilvie. "Generally prospects for the remainder of the year are encouraging but remain dependent on continued strengthening of the underlying economy and the specific markets within which we operate. We expect to report improving results from the Compression Group for the balance of the year. The Equipment Group has seen good growth in bookings activity over the first half of the year and is now performing above the comparable periods last year. Our refrigeration business is on track to deliver a standout year. Our decision to continue the long established pattern of dividend increases reflects our positive outlook and strong financial position."

Toromont Industries Ltd. operates through two business segments: The Equipment Group and the Compression Group. The Equipment Group includes one of the larger Caterpillar dealerships by revenue and geographic territory in addition to industry leading rental operations. The Compression Group is a global leader specializing in the design, engineering, fabrication, and installation of compression systems for natural gas, coal-bed methane, fuel gas and carbon dioxide in addition to process systems and industrial and recreational refrigeration systems. Both Groups offer comprehensive product support capabilities.

Tower Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: TWGP) August 9, 2010, New York, NY, board of directors approved a quarterly dividend on August 6, 2010 of $0.125 per share payable on September 24, 2010 to stockholders of record as of September 10, 2010.
Tower Group, Inc. offers diversified property and casualty insurance products and services through its operating subsidiaries. Its insurance company subsidiaries offer insurance products to individuals and small to medium-sized businesses through its network of retail and wholesale agents and specialty business through program underwriting agents. Tower's insurance services subsidiaries provide underwriting, claims and reinsurance brokerage services to other insurance companies.

T S and W/Claymore Tax-Advantaged Balanced Fund (NYSE: TYW) August 2, 2010, Lisle, IL, August 2, 2010-(NYSE: TYW) TS&W/Claymore Tax-Advantaged Balanced Fund (“TYW” or the “Fund”)a closed-end management investment company, announced that it is increasing its quarterlydividend by 11.11% to $0.20per share, effective with its September 2010 dividend. The increased dividendcompares to the $0.18per share for the last quarterly dividend and
represents a distribution rate of 7.79%based upon the closing market price of $10.27on July 30, 2010. The Fund’s tax-advantageddistribution rate on closing market price, as of July 30, 2010, was11.28%. The tax-advantageddistribution rate is calculated based upon the 35% federal income tax bracket and assumes the 2009 tax characterization of dividends. There can be no assurance that this characterization is indicative of future allocations nor that this distribution ratewill be achieved in the future.

The September2010 dividend will be paid on September30, 2010 to shareholders of record as of September 15, 2010 with an ex-dividend date of September 13, 2010. Claymore Advisors, LLC (an affiliate of Claymore Securities, Inc.) serves as Investment Adviser to the Fund.Claymore Securities, Inc.offers strategic investment solutions for financial advisors and their valued clients. As an innovator in exchange-traded funds (ETFs), unit investment trusts (UITs) and closed-end funds (CEFs),Claymore often leads its peers with creative investment strategy solutions. In total, Claymore entities provide supervision, management, or servicing on approximately $15.3billion in assets as ofJune 30, 2010. Claymore Securities, Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Guggenheim Partners, LLC, a global, diversified financial services firm with more than $100 billion in assets under supervision. Guggenheim, through its affiliates, provides investmentmanagement, investment advisory, insurance, investment banking, and capital markets services. The firm is headquartered in Chicago and New York with a global network of offices throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia.

W and T Offshore, Inc. (NYSE: WTI) August 2, 2010, Houston, TX, (NYSE: WTI) announced that its Board of Directors on August 2, 2010 increased the regular cash quarterly dividend to $0.04 per share from $0.03 per share, payable to the holders of the Corporation's common shares. The dividend will be payable on September 10, 2010, to the shareholders of record on August 20, 2010.

Tracy W. Krohn, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, commented, "We are pleased to be able to increase our quarterly dividend and reward our shareholders for their ongoing support. This action reflects our continued confidence in W&T Offshore's ability to continue to generate strong cash flow."

W&T Offshore is an independent oil and natural gas company focused primarily in the Gulf of Mexico, including exploration in the deepwater and deep shelf regions, where it has developed significant technical expertise. W&T has grown through acquisitions, exploitation and exploration and currently holds working interests in approximately 72 producing fields in federal and state waters. The majority of the Company's daily production is derived from wells it operates.

Yamana Gold (NYSE: AUY) August 5, 2010, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, announced yesterday that it has further increased its dividend. All dollar amounts are expressed in United States dollars unless otherwise specified.

The board of directors has approved an increase in Yamana's dividend to an annualized $0.08 per share, or $0.02 per share per quarter. This represents a 100 percent increase over the 2009 annualized dividend of $0.04 per share, or $0.01 per share per quarter and a 33 percent increase over the annualized dividend increase to $0.06 per share, or $0.015 per share per quarter announced last quarter.
The dividend increase will be in effect for the third quarter dividend, payable on Thursday, October 14, 2010, to holders of record at the close of business on Thursday, September 30, 2010. The dividend is an "eligible dividend" for Canadian tax purposes.
Yamana is a Canadian-based gold producer with significant gold production, gold development stage properties, exploration properties, and land positions in Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Mexico and Colombia. Yamana plans to continue to build on this base through existing operating mine expansions, throughput increases, development of new mines, the advancement of its exploration properties and by targeting other gold consolidation opportunities with a primary focus in the Americas.

HELP BEXLEY PUBLIC RADIO UPGRADE ITS ANTENNA. SEND YOUR MONEY PROMPTLY. BE GENEROUS.

Bexley Public Radio Foundation broadcasting as
WCRX-LP, 102.1 FM, Local Power Radio
2700 E. Main St., Suite 208
Columbus, OH 43209
Voice (614) 235 2929
Fax (614) 235 3008
Email wcrxlp@yahoo.com
Blog http://agentofcurrency.blogspot.com

Bexley Public Radio Foundation is exempt from federal taxes under IRC Section 501(c)(3). Donations are deductible from federal income taxes for individuals who itemize. Checks may identify the payee as Bexley Public Radio Foundation or WCRX-LP, 102.1 FM.

Design is copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Bexley Public Radio Foundation. Text and photo are copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Laura Franks.

Laura Franks Bexley CPI report for third quarter 2010.

August 26, 2010 Third Quarter, 2010, Bexley Consumer Price Report.



This is Laura Franks reporting the Bexley Consumer Price Index for the third quarter, 2010.

The Bexley CPI reports on the aggregate prices paid for a uniform basket of merchandise purchased at retail in Bexley and nearby retail stores.

The Bexley CPI measures the change of prices for typical retail purchases made by Bexley residents.

The Bexley Consumer Price Index can be compared to the price changes reported by the Bureau of Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor. The comparison can provide useful information for Bexley consumers about local price changes compared to price changes in other parts of the United States.

As of the third quarter, 2010 compared to the second quarter, 2010, Bexley prices showed a 6% increase. Although there was a significant 31% markdown on one (1) item (a back-to-school item) the overall increase was the result of two (2) items having their prices raised, and a third item that was discounted 41% last quarter was returned to its pre-sale cost.

Of note: this is the highest total cost we’ve seen since the inception of the Bexley CPI in October 2007. The highest total previously was in the first quarter of this year.

Even though we have an increase in prices this quarter I still conclude that it is always nice to live in Bexley.

This is Laura Franks for the WCRX-LP, 102.1 FM Bexley Consumer Price Index Report.

HELP BEXLEY PUBLIC RADIO UPGRADE ITS ANTENNA. SEND YOUR MONEY PROMPTLY. BE GENEROUS.

Bexley Public Radio Foundation broadcasting as
WCRX-LP, 102.1 FM, Local Power Radio
2700 E. Main St., Suite 208
Columbus, OH 43209
Voice (614) 235 2929
Fax (614) 235 3008
Email wcrxlp@yahoo.com
Blog http://agentofcurrency.blogspot.com

Bexley Public Radio Foundation is exempt from federal taxes under IRC Section 501(c)(3). Donations are deductible from federal income taxes for individuals who itemize. Checks may identify the payee as Bexley Public Radio Foundation or WCRX-LP, 102.1 FM.

Design is copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Bexley Public Radio Foundation. Text and photo are copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Laura Franks.

Monday, August 16, 2010

INFORM's Candy Bennett interviews William Phillis on Ohio school funding.

-
Ohio’s School Funding August 16, 2010.



INFORM’s guest for August 16th was William Phillis, CEO of the Coalition of Equity and Adequacy for School Funding articulated the strides Ohio’s government has been advancing for education in all 88 counties.

It is evident to most Ohioans that our economy is tough and burdened with foreclosures, unemployment and reduced state revenue making it difficult to advance a “thorough and efficient” system of education. Mr. Phillis, informed the listening audience that Governor Stickland has championed education systematically. His previous campaign platform was one of education reform and he fulfilled his promise by enacting an Evidence Based Model and through the General Assembly has increased school funding from 34.5% to 42.6% lessening the burden upon homeowners.

If you would like more information about the Coalition of Equity and Adequacy for School funding you can reach Mr. Phillis at 614.228.6524 or ohioeanda@sbcglobal.net.

HELP BEXLEY PUBLIC RADIO UPGRADE ITS ANTENNA. SEND YOUR MONEY PROMPTLY. BE GENEROUS.

Bexley Public Radio Foundation broadcasting as
WCRX-LP, 102.1 FM, Local Power Radio
2700 E. Main St., Suite 208
Columbus, OH 43209
Voice (614) 235 2929
Fax (614) 235 3008
Email wcrxlp@yahoo.com
Blog http://agentofcurrency.blogspot.com

Bexley Public Radio Foundation is exempt from federal taxes under IRC Section 501(c)(3). Donations are deductible from federal income taxes for individuals who itemize. Checks may identify the payee as Bexley Public Radio Foundation or WCRX-LP, 102.1 FM.

Design is copyright 2009. All rights reserved. Bexley Public Radio Foundation. Text is copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Candy Bennett.

INFORM's Candy Bennet interviews marathon runner Chris Smith on Bexley Public Radio

INFORM August 2, 2010 “Two Old Goats.”



Listeners of INFORM, met Chris Smith, a marathon runner with a selfless goal of running to help the people of Zimbabwe gain sustainability. Chris and his running partner Paul Carringer are “Two Old Goats” running for the goats.

In July, they competed in the 24 hour “Lone Ranger” ultra race in Philadelphia, to raise money to purchase 1000 goats for the people of Zimbabwe. World Vision is their social service partner. World Vision provides each family with two goats and instructs them how to produce milk and cheese. World Vision also provides entrepreneurial instruction on the care and development of goat herd expansion, thus creating meat for trade and potentially increasing each family’s earning potential.

Chris and Paul are still running to reach their goal of 1000 goats. A $75 contribution will purchase two goats to increase the economic stability of a family in Zimbabwe. Checks can be sent to Grace Fellowship Church-Goats, 7140 Reynoldsburg-Baltimore Road, Pickerington, Ohio 43147 or you can make your donation online at http://twv.convio.net/goto/run4goats.

HELP BEXLEY PUBLIC RADIO UPGRADE ITS ANTENNA. SEND YOUR MONEY PROMPTLY. BE GENEROUS.

Bexley Public Radio Foundation broadcasting as
WCRX-LP, 102.1 FM, Local Power Radio
2700 E. Main St., Suite 208
Columbus, OH 43209
Voice (614) 235 2929
Fax (614) 235 3008
Email wcrxlp@yahoo.com
Blog http://agentofcurrency.blogspot.com

Bexley Public Radio Foundation is exempt from federal taxes under IRC Section 501(c)(3). Donations are deductible from federal income taxes for individuals who itemize. Checks may identify the payee as Bexley Public Radio Foundation or WCRX-LP, 102.1 FM.

Design is copyright 2009. All rights reserved. Bexley Public Radio Foundation. Text is copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Candy Bennett.

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

The Green Radio Choice. Bexley Public Radio.

Green. The public radio green choice is still WCRX-LP, 102.1 FM. Celebrate the lower energy requirements for LPFM.

Big power blasters like WOSU and WCBE consume lots of energy. These big stations have gluttonous appetites for anthracite.

WOSU alone engorges itself on almost a shovel full of coal every eighteen minutes of broadcast.

Think WOSU. Think coal. Think pollution.

Reflect on WCRX-LP. Visualize low energy use. Know that Bexley Public Radio means responsible stewardship of energy resources.

To know green, think Bexley Public Radio.

HELP BEXLEY PUBLIC RADIO UPGRADE ITS ANTENNA. SEND YOUR MONEY PROMPTLY. BE GENEROUS.

Bexley Public Radio Foundation broadcasting as
WCRX-LP, 102.1 FM, Local Power Radio
2700 E. Main St., Suite 208
Columbus, OH 43209
Voice (614) 235 2929
Fax (614) 235 3008
Email wcrxlp@yahoo.com
Blog http://agentofcurrency.blogspot.com

Bexley Public Radio Foundation is exempt from federal taxes under IRC Section 501(c)(3). Donations are deductible from federal income taxes for individuals who itemize. Checks may identify the payee as Bexley Public Radio Foundation or WCRX-LP, 102.1 FM.

Design is copyright 2009. All rights reserved. Bexley Public Radio Foundation. Text is copyright 2009 and 2010. All rights reserved. Bexley Public Radio Editorial Collective.

POSTED BY WCRX-LP EDITORIAL COLLECTIVE AT 8:54 AM 0 COMMENTS

CPAC meeting scheduled for 4:30 p.m. September 6, 2010.

Community Programming Advisory Committee meeting for Bexley Public Radio.

4:30 p.m. Monday September 6, 2010.

Community residents are welcome.

Admission is $10.00 per person.

Case, check, money order and ID.


Chairwoman Laura Franks
Community Programming Advisory Committee
Bexley Public Radio Foundation
2700 E. Main St., Suite 208
Columbus, OH 43209

Monday, August 9, 2010

Laura Franks Dividend Note No. 28 for Bexley Public Radio.


This is my Dividend Note No. 28 as of August 3, 2010..

These are sixty-four companies which increased dividends during the last two weeks of July and the first three days of August. Most are American companies.

Some of the companies with interesting lines of business are the following: Malaga Financial is interesting because its banking subsidiary does not have any delinquent loans. Buckeye Technologies, Inc. manufactures specialty fibers and nonwoven materials. CARBO Ceramics, Inc. is supplier of a ceramic proppant, used in the oil drilling industry. RPC, Inc. provides specialized oilfield services and equipment to oilfield companies in the United States, including the Gulf of Mexico, mid-continent, southwest, Appalachian and Rocky Mountain regions, and in selected international markets.

These are the companies with increased dividends or initiated the payment of dividends.

Airgas, Inc.
Altera Corp.
American Water Works Company, Inc.
A.O. Smith Corporation
Applied Industrial Technologies
Aptargroup, Inc.
Aqua America
Atrion Corporation
AVX Corporation
Barrick Gold Corp.
British American Tobacco
Buckeye Technologies Inc.
CARBO Ceramics Inc.
Centerra Gold
Community Trust Bancorp
Crane Co.
Cummins, Inc.
Digital Realty
Donaldson Company, Inc.
DTE Energy
Duncan Energy Partners L.P.
Eaton Corp.
El Paso Pipeline Partners, L.P.
Enbridge Energy Partners L.P.
Flaherty & Crumrine/Claymore Preferred Securities Income Fund Incorporated
Flaherty & Crumrine/Claymore Total Return Fund Incorporated
Flaherty & Crumrine Preferred Income Fund Incorporated
Flaherty & Crumrine Preferred Income Opportunity Fund Incorporated
FPB Financial Corp.
General Electric Company
Genesis Energy, L.P.
Herbalife Ltd.
International Flavors and Fragrances Inc.
Kaydon Corporation
Lindsay Corp.
Landstar System, Inc.
Malaga Financial Corporation
National Retail Properties, Inc.
Nationwide Health Properties, Inc.
Newmont Mining Corporation
Norfolk Southern Corporation
Omega Healthcare Investors, Inc.
ONEOK, Inc.
Orrstown Financial Services, Inc.
PetMed Express. Inc.
PPG
Proctor and Gamble
Republic Services, Inc.
Resources Connection, Inc.
RPC, Inc.
Ryder System, Inc.
Sealed Air Corporation
Solera Holdings, Inc.
Spectra Energy Partners, LP
Stanley Black and Decker, Inc.
Starbucks Corporation
TESSCO Technologies Incorporated
UDR Inc.
Vanguard Natural Resources, LLC
ViewPoint Financial Group, Inc.
Walgreen Co.
W and T Offshore, Inc.
Western Gas Partners, LP
Westfield Financial, Inc.

Airgas, Inc. (NYSE: ARG) July 21, 2010 Radnor, PA announced that its board of directors increased the quarterly cash dividend on the company's common stock to $0.25 per share from $0.22. The dividend will be payable on September 30, 2010 to shareholders of record as of September 15, 2010.

"We are pleased to raise our dividend on the strength of our outstanding financial performance, including robust earnings growth and cash flow," said Airgas Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Peter McCausland. "The steady improvement we are seeing in our business as the economy recovers gives us further confidence in our growth prospects, financial strength, and operating performance goals."

Airgas, Inc. through its subsidiaries, is the largest U.S. distributor of industrial, medical, and specialty gases, and hard goods, such as welding equipment and supplies. Airgas is also one of the largest U.S. distributors of safety products, the largest U.S. producer of nitrous oxide and dry ice, the largest liquid carbon dioxide producer in the Southeast, and a leading distributor of process chemicals, refrigerants, and ammonia products. More than 14,000 employees work in approximately 1,100 locations, including branches, retail stores, gas fill plants, specialty gas labs, production facilities and distribution centers. Airgas also distributes its products and services through eBusiness, catalog and telesales channels.

Altera Corp. (NASDAQ: ALTR) ) July 20, 2010, San Jose, CA, announced that its second-quarter net income rose 18 percent as revenue surged and beat analyst expectations. This chip maker also increased its quarterly dividend.

Net income in the quarter grew to $180.6 million, or 58 cents per share, from $153.2 million, or 50 cents per share, in the same period a year earlier.

Revenue grew 68 percent to $469.3 million.

Altera also increased its quarterly cash dividend to 6 cents from 5 cents. The next quarterly dividend will be paid Sept. 1 to shareholders of record Aug. 10.

Altera is a semiconductor company. The company designs, manufactures and markets programmable logic devices (PLDs), HardCopy application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), pre-defined design building blocks, known as intellectual property (IP) cores, and associated development tools. Altera is a supplier of complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) PLDs. The company’s PLDs consist of field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) and complex programmable logic devices (CPLDs), which are semiconductor integrated circuits, or chips, that its customers program to perform logic functions in their electronic systems. Its HardCopy ASICs enables its customer transition designs from FPGAs to non-programmable implementations. Altera’s IP cores can be licensed by customers to add functions to their PLD designs.

American Water Works Company, Inc. (NYSE: AWK) July 30, 2010, Voorhees, NJ announced that its board of directors increased its quarterly cash dividend payment by five percent from $0.21 to $0.22 per share.
The regular quarterly cash dividend is payable on September 1, 2010 to all shareholders of record as of August 18, 2010.
"We are pleased with the Board's decision to increase our dividend as it reflects our solid financial performance to-date," said Don Correll, president and CEO of American Water. "This is our ninth consecutive declaration since going public in 2008."

Founded in 1886, American Water is the largest investor-owned U.S. water and wastewater utility company. With headquarters in Voorhees, N.J., the company employs more than 7,000 dedicated professionals who provide drinking water, wastewater and other related services to approximately 16 million people in 35 states and Ontario and Manitoba, Canada.

A.O. Smith (NYSE: AOS) July 23, 2010, Milwaukee, WI, board of directors has approved an eight percent increase in the company's quarterly cash dividend to a rate of $.21 per share.

The dividend is payable on Aug. 16 to shareholders of record July 30.

"The stability provided by our 136 years in business, as well as our record operating performance and cash flow generation in 2009, give us the confidence to increase our dividend in what continues to be a fragile economic recovery," Paul W. Jones, chairman and chief executive officer, commented.

A. O. Smith has paid cash dividends on its stock every year since 1940. This is the eighth time in the last nine years that the company has increased its quarterly cash dividend.

A. O. Smith Corporation, with 2009 sales of $2.0 billion, is a global company applying technology and energy-efficient solutions to products marketed worldwide. The company is a manufacturer of residential and commercial water heating equipment, offering a comprehensive product line featuring the best-known brands in North America and China. A. O. Smith is also one of the largest manufacturers of electric motors for residential and commercial applications in North America.


Applied Industrial Technologies (NYSE: AIT) July 20, 2010, Cleveland, OH increased its quarterly dividend by 13%.

Applied Industrial said it bumped its quarterly cash dividend higher to 17 cents per share from 15 cents. The new dividend is payable on Aug. 31 to shareholders of record on Aug. 16. Applied Industrial Chairman and CEO David Pugh said the dividend increase is based "on our good cash flows and the recent improvement in the North American industrial economy."

The new dividend pushes Applied Industrial's annualized dividend rate to 2.62% from 2.31%.

With approximately 460 facilities and 4,500 employee associates across North America, Applied Industrial Technologies is an industrial distributor that offers more than 3 million parts critical to the operations of MRO and OEM customers in virtually every industry. In addition, Applied provides engineering, design and systems integration for industrial and fluid power applications, as well as customized mechanical, fabricated rubber and fluid power shop services. Applied also offers maintenance training, plus solutions to meet inventory and storeroom management needs that help provide enhanced value to its customers. For its fiscal year ended June 30, 2009, Applied posted sales of $1.9 billion.

Aptargroup, Inc. (NYSE: ATR) July 20, 2010, Crystal Lake, IL reported record quarterly earnings per share. The company's board of directors also announced a 20% increase to the quarterly cash dividend.

Commenting on the quarter, Peter Pfeiffer, President and CEO, said, "This was an exceptional quarter for us across the board. Our decision to reduce certain costs during the economic downturn last year without sacrificing critical research or capacity was the right move. We put ourselves in position to take advantage of rising demand as our customers' businesses regained their momentum. And this momentum, which we saw in the first quarter, carried over into the second quarter. Demand was particularly strong from the fragrance, cosmetic, and personal care markets and appears to be a blend of increased consumer consumption and the absence of inventory destocking that occurred last year. Sales to the food, beverage, and pharmaceutical markets were also quite good in the quarter. Each business segment posted increases in sales and income."

Pfeiffer continued, "Increased volumes drove improved capacity utilization and, combined with our cost containment efforts, contributed to record operating income of $74 million and record earnings per share. Reported diluted earnings per share increased 63% to a record $.67 per share, compared to $.41 per share in the prior year. Prior year earnings per share included the negative effect of $.03 per share from charges related to our consolidation/severance program."

Aptargroup is a global supplier of dispensing systems for the fragrance/cosmetic, personal care, pharmaceutical, household and food/beverage markets. Aptargroup is headquartered in Crystal Lake, Illinois, with manufacturing facilities in North America, Europe, Asia and South America.

Aqua America, Inc. (NYSE: WTR) August 3, 2010, Bryn Mawr, PA, declared a dividend increase of $0.01 per share from $0.145 per share to $0.155 per share for the December 1, 2010 quarterly dividend, to all shareholders of record on November 17, 2010. This represents a 6.9 percent increase to the quarterly dividend. This increase is equivalent to $0.04 above the company's current annualized dividend rate of $0.58 to $0.62.

The Board also declared the regular $0.145 per share quarterly common stock cash dividend to be paid on September 1, 2010 to shareholders of record on August 17, 2010. Aqua has paid a consecutive quarterly dividend for more than 60 years.

(Editor’s note by LF: from public sources, the foregoing record dates and payment dates are incongruous).

This is the company's twentieth dividend increase in 19 years. Aqua America Chairman and CEO Nicholas DeBenedictis said, "The Board approved this action after a strategic session to review the company's five-year business plan. This decision demonstrates the Board's continued confidence in the long-term growth potential of our business model."

Aqua America, Inc. is a U.S.-based publicly traded water and wastewater utility holding company, serving approximately three million people in Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, North Carolina, Illinois, Texas, Florida, New Jersey, Indiana, Virginia, Maine, Missouri, South Carolina and Georgia. Aqua America is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol WTR.

Atrion Corporation (NASDAQ: ATRI) August 3, 2010, Allen TX, announced an increase in its quarterly cash dividend from 36 cents per share to 42 cents per share. The board of directors declared a quarterly dividend of 42 cents per share on its outstanding shares of common stock. This dividend will be payable on September 30, 2010 to stockholders of record at the close of business on September 15, 2010.

Atrion Corporation develops and manufactures products primarily for medical applications.


AVX Corporation (NYSE: AVX) July 27, 2010, Greenville, SC declared a dividend of $0.045 per common share for the quarter ended June 30, 2010.

This dividend will be paid to shareholders of record on August 2, 2010 and will be disbursed on August 13, 2010.
AVX, headquartered in Greenville, South Carolina, is a manufacturer and supplier of a broad line of passive electronic components and related products.

Barrick Gold Corporation (NYSE: ABX) July 29, 2010, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, the world’s largest producer of the metal, said second-quarter profit increased 59 percent and raised its dividend as prices climbed to a record.

Net income rose to $783 million, or 79 cents a share, from $492 million, or 56 cents, a year earlier. Profit excluding one-time items was 77 cents a share. Sales gained 34 percent to $2.64 billion.

Chief Executive Officer Aaron Regent reiterated plans to boost the company’s gold output this year to as much as 8 million ounces, from 7.4 million last year, helped by new production from the Cortez Hills project in Nevada. The company also raised its dividend 20 percent to 12 cents on a quarterly basis and said future dividends will be quarterly instead of semi-annual.
The outlook for the metal remains “positive,” even as investor concerns about Europe’s sovereign-debt problems have eased, Barrick Chief Financial Officer Jamie Sokalsky said on a conference call with investors.

“Sovereign-debt issues around the world aren’t likely to go away in the foreseeable future,” Sokalsky said. “The main drivers of investment demand, and hence, higher gold prices are still in place.”

British American Tobacco Plc (AMEX BTI), July 28, 2010, London, England, United Kingdom, reported a higher profit for the first half of the fiscal, with revenues rising 8% from last year.

The company raised its interim dividend by 19%. The cigarette maker expects another year of good growth in both earnings and dividends.

The company reported first-half profit attributable to shareholders' equity of GBP 1.53 billion (about $2.38 billion) or 76.5 pence per share, compared to GBP 1.45 billion or 72.8 pence per share last year.

Pre-tax profit rose to GBP 2.28 billion from GBP 2.12 billion in the previous year.

Results for both periods included restructuring and integration costs, effects of amortization of trademarks and associates' adjusting items.

Adjusted earnings per share totaled 87.1 pence, up from 77.3 pence per share last year.

Revenues grew 8% to GBP 7.30 billion from GBP 6.78 billion in the comparable period a year earlier, which the company attributed to a favorable foreign currency impact, continued good pricing momentum and additional volumes from last year's acquisition of PT Bentoel Internasional Investama Tbk or Bentoel. Revenue growth was 4% on a currency-neutral basis.

In Asia-Pacific, revenue grew 17% to GBP 1.811 billion and strong performance was seen in Australia, New Zealand, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

British American Tobacco plc is a holding company that owns, directly or indirectly, investments in the numerous companies constituting the British American Tobacco Group of companies. Its brand portfolio includes Dunhill, Kent, Lucky Strike and Pall Mall. Dunhill sells in approximately 120 countries. 41 billion Dunhill cigarettes were sold during the year ended December 31, 2009. Kent is sold in more than 70 countries. Lucky Strike's markets incude Germany, Spain, Japan, France, Italy, Argentina and Chile. Pall Mall offers a range of cigarette and make-your-own products. On June 17, 2009, it acquired 85% stake in Indonesia’s cigarette maker PT Bentoel Internasional Investama Tbk.

Buckeye Technologies Inc. (NYSE: BKI) August 3, 2010, Memphis, TN, announced that its board of directors has declared its first regular quarterly cash dividend in the amount of $0.04 per common share payable on September 15, 2010 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on August 16, 2010.

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer John B. Crowe, said "We are pleased to be able to initiate a regular dividend for the first time in the Company's history. As we have discussed in recent quarterly earnings calls, Buckeye is now well positioned to take a more balanced approach in its allocation of capital as a result of the success we have had over the last several years in reducing our debt and growing our cash flow. In July, we have reduced our total debt well below the bottom end of our target debt range of $200 - $250 million. In addition, this fall we will complete the first phase of our Foley energy independence project and expect to begin realizing savings from this project in the first quarter of calendar 2011. The dividend amounts to approximately $6.5 million on an annual basis, which represents a payout ratio based on adjusted fiscal 2010 net income (excluding special items) of 18%. This in essence is cash flow that was formerly used to reduce our debt and pay our interest expense and now will be used to return cash to shareholders."

Mr. Crowe continued, "Our objectives for returning cash to shareholders in the form of dividends are to increase shareholder returns and to broaden our shareholder base. We expect that Buckeye will continue to generate cash flow from operations sufficient to pay this dividend and grow it over time while also continuing to invest in high-return projects and growth opportunities. Repurchasing shares continues to be another option, subject to market conditions and bond covenant restrictions. Our objective with share repurchases would be to increase shareholder value by generating returns greater than our cost of capital. Currently, we have authorization to repurchase 5.6 million shares, and we would anticipate that any stock repurchases would be made from time to time on an opportunistic basis through open market purchases."

Buckeye, a manufacturer and marketer of specialty fibers and nonwoven materials, is headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. The company currently operates facilities in the United States, Germany, Canada, and Brazil. Its products are sold worldwide to makers of consumer and industrial goods.

CARBO Ceramics Inc. (NYSE: CRR) July 20, 2010, Houston, TX, announced that its board of directors has approved an increase in the Company's quarterly dividend to 20 cents per common share, or $0.80 per common share on an annualized basis.

This represents an increase of 11% over the Company's previous quarterly dividend and marks the tenth consecutive year the Company has increased its dividend to shareholders. The dividend is payable on August 16, 2010 to shareholders of record as of August 2, 2010.

Gary Kolstad, Chief Executive Officer and President of CARBO Ceramics, said, "Given the confidence our Board of Directors has about our long-term outlook and financial strength, it is fitting that the Company reward its shareholders with an increase to the quarterly dividend amount."

CARBO is the world's largest supplier of ceramic proppant, (proppant is a sand used in the oil drilling industry), the provider of the world's most popular fracture simulation software, and a provider of fracture design and consulting services. The company also provides a broad range of technologies for spill prevention, containment and countermeasures, along with geotechnical monitoring.

Centerra Gold, Inc. (TSE: CG) July 31, 2010, Toronto, Ontario, Canada reported higher-than-expected quarterly earnings yesterday, as increased production and strong gold prices helped the miner return to profit after a loss a year ago.

The Canadian gold miner's net earnings came in at $29.8 million, or 13 cents a share, which compares with a net loss of $79.6 million, or 36 cents a share, a year earlier, when lower gold recoveries and increased costs took a toll. The company also announced an inaugural dividend of six cents per share, to be paid out in September.

Community Trust Bancorp, Inc., (NASDAQ: CTBI) July 27, 2010, Pikeville, KY increased its cash dividend to $0.305 per share to be paid October 1, 2010, to shareholders of record on September 15, 2010.
This represents an increase of 1.67% in the quarterly cash dividend.

Community Trust Bancorp, Inc., with assets of $3.2 billion, is headquartered in Pikeville, Kentucky and has 70 banking locations across eastern, northeastern, central, and south central Kentucky, six banking locations in southern West Virginia, and five trust offices across Kentucky.

Crane Co. (NYSE: CR) July 26, 2010, Stamford, CT, a diversified manufacturer of highly engineered industrial products, announced its board of directors declared a 15% increase in its quarterly dividend, to $.023 per share from $0.20 per share. The dividend is payable on September 10, 2010 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on August 31, 2010. The indicated annual dividend rate will now be $0.92 per share.

Crane Co. is a diversified manufacturer of highly engineered industrial products. Founded in 1855, Crane provides products and solutions to customers in the aerospace, electronics, hydrocarbon processing, petrochemical, chemical, power generation, automated merchandising, transportation and other markets. The Company has five business segments: Aerospace and Electronics, Engineered Materials, Merchandising Systems, Fluid Handling and Controls. Crane has approximately 10,000 employees in North America, South America, Europe, Asia and Australia.

Cummins Inc. (NYSE: CMI) July 13, 2010, Columbus, IN, increased the company’s quarterly cash dividend on common stock by 50 percent to 26.25 cents per share from 17.5 cents per share.
The dividend is payable on Sept. 1, 2010 to shareholders of record on August 23, 2010. Cummins last raised its dividend in July 2008.

“The company has performed well despite operating in challenging economic conditions for much of the past two years,” said Cummins Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Tim Solso. “As a result, we are in a position to further reward shareholders for their confidence in Cummins as we continue to position ourselves for a period of strong long-term growth.”

Cummins Inc. is a corporation of complementary business units that design, manufacture, distribute and service engines and related technologies, including fuel systems, controls, air handling, filtration, emission solutions and electrical power generation systems. Headquartered in Columbus, Indiana, Cummins serves customers in approximately 190 countries and territories through a network of more than 500 company-owned and independent distributor locations and approximately 5,200 dealer locations. The Company reported net income attributable to Cummins Inc. of $428 million on sales of $10.8 billion in 2009.

Digital Realty Trust (NYSE: DLR) July 19, 2010, San Francisco, CA increased its quarterly dividend on its common stock to 53 cents per share, an increase of 10.4%. The new dividend comes in anticipation of increased REIT taxable income and distribution requirements for 2010, the company said.

Digital Realty Trust, Inc. operates through its operating partnership, Digital Realty Trust, L.P. The Company operates as a real estate investment trust (REIT). The Company focuses on properties containing applications and operations critical to the day-to-day operations of technology industry tenants and corporate enterprise datacenter users, including the information technology (IT), departments. The Company’s properties contain a total of approximately 14.4 million net rentable square feet, including approximately 1.8 million square feet held for redevelopment. On October 30, 2009, the Company acquired two fully leased datacenter facilities. On December 17, 2009, it acquired a two-property datacenter portfolio consisting of four buildings, as well as a vacant land, known as Beaumeade/Nokes Property. On January 22, 2010, it acquired three-property datacenter portfolio located in Massachusetts and Connecticut (New England portfolio).

Donaldson Company, Inc. (NYSE: DCI) July 30, 2010, Minneapolis, MN announced that its board of directors has increased the quarterly common stock cash dividend by 4 percent for the second time this year. The board also increased the dividend in February 2010.

The board declared a regular cash dividend of 12.5 cents per share, payable September 10th to shareholders of record as of August 20th. As of June 30th, there were approximately 76,400,000 shares outstanding.

The current declaration is the 220th consecutive quarterly cash dividend paid by Donaldson over a time span of 55 years.
Donaldson is a worldwide provider of filtration systems. It provides filtration solutions through research and development, application expertise, and global presence. The company has more than 100 sales, manufacturing, and distribution locations around the world.

DTE Energy Company (NYSE: DTE) July 29, 2010, Detroit, MI, reported second quarter 2010 earnings of $86 million, or $0.51 per diluted share, compared with $83 million, or $0.51 per diluted share, in the second quarter of 2009.

The DTE Energy Board of Directors also declared a $0.56 per share dividend on its common stock payable Oct. 15, 2010, to shareholders of record at the close of business Sept. 20, 2010. This is a $0.03 per share quarterly increase from the previous dividend payout of $0.53 per share.

"I am pleased that our ongoing dedication to cost containment and customer service continues to deliver strong performance," said Anthony F. Earley Jr., DTE Energy chairman and CEO. "This is despite the fact that our region lags behind the rest of the nation in job growth and economic recovery, which results in significant financial challenges for many of our customers.
"The modest economic recovery, coupled with our multi-year plan to invest in renewable energy, utility infrastructure and environmental controls will create new jobs in our region and provide clean, reliable and affordable energy for our customers," Earley added. "Given these trends, we are pleased to be able to increase our dividend for the first time in three years."

Operating earnings for the second quarter 2010 were $66 million, or $0.39 per diluted share, compared with second quarter 2009 operating earnings of $92 million, or $0.56 per diluted share. Operating earnings decreased primarily due to economic performance and accounting timing at the energy trading segment. Operating earnings exclude non-recurring items, certain timing-related items and discontinued operations. Reconciliations of reported earnings to operating earnings are at the end of this news release.

DTE Energy Company is engaged in energy business. The Company’s utility operations consist of The Detroit Edison Company (Detroit Edison) and Michigan Consolidated Gas Company (MichCon). The Company also has four segments that are engaged in a variety of energy-related business. Detroit Edison is engaged in the generation, purchase, distribution and sale of electricity to approximately 2.1 million customers in south-eastern Michigan. MichCon is engaged in the purchase, storage, transmission, gathering, distribution and sale of natural gas to approximately 1.2 million customers throughout Michigan. The other segments are involved in gas pipelines and storage; unconventional gas exploration, development and production; power and industrial projects and coal transportation and marketing, and energy marketing and trading operations.

Eaton Corp. (NYSE: ETN) July 21, 2010, Cleveland, OH reported a second-quarter profit, as sales increased 16% from last year, driven primarily by stronger end markets. Adjusted earnings as well as revenue topped Wall Street expectations. The company also raised its full-year outlook and boosted its quarterly dividend by 16%.
Eaton is a diversified power management company. The company is engaged in the manufacturing of electrical components and systems for power quality, distribution and control; hydraulics components, systems and services for industrial and mobile equipment; aerospace fuel, hydraulics and pneumatic systems for commercial and military use, and truck and automotive drivetrain and powertrain systems for performance, fuel economy and safety.

Duncan Energy Partners L.P. (NYSE:DEP) July 13, 2010, Houston, TX, announced that the board of directors of its general partner declared an increase in the quarterly cash distribution rate paid to partners to $0.45 per common unit, or $1.80 per unit on an annualized basis. The cash distribution will be paid Friday, August 6, 2010, to unitholders of record at the close of business on Friday, July 30, 2010. This distribution represents a 3.4 percent increase from the $0.435 per unit distribution declared for the second quarter of 2009 and is the seventh consecutive quarterly distribution increase.

Duncan Energy Partners is a publicly traded partnership that provides midstream energy services, including gathering, transportation, marketing and storage of natural gas, in addition to NGL fractionation (or separation), transportation and storage and petrochemical transportation and storage. Duncan Energy Partners owns interests in assets located primarily in Texas and Louisiana, including interests in approximately 9,400 miles of natural gas pipelines with a transportation capacity aggregating approximately 7.9 billion cubic feet ("Bcf") per day; more than 1,600 miles of NGL and petrochemical pipelines featuring access to one of the world's largest fractionation complexes at Mont Belvieu, Texas; two NGL fractionation facilities located in south Texas; approximately 18 million barrels ("MMBbls") of leased NGL storage capacity; 8.1 Bcf of leased natural gas storage capacity; and 34 underground salt dome caverns with more than 100 MMBbls of NGL storage capacity at Mont Belvieu. Duncan Energy Partners is managed by its general partner, DEP Holdings, LLC, which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Enterprise.

El Paso Pipeline Partners, L.P. (NYSE: EPB) August 4, 2010, Houston, TX, reported its second quarter 2010 financial and operational results for the partnership.

One highlight is the increase of its quarterly cash distribution quarterly cash distributions to $0.40 per common and subordinated unit for the second quarter 2010, a 21-percent increase from the second quarter of 2009.

"We are pleased with our outstanding results and dynamic growth," said Jim Yardley, president and chief executive officer of El Paso Pipeline Partners. "During the quarter, we completed our fourth acquisition from El Paso Corporation and have now seen our total assets grow more than fourfold since our IPO. We continue to execute on a solid group of organic growth projects and are well positioned for future opportunities."

Enbridge Energy Partners, L.P. (NYSE: EEP) July 26, 2010, Houston, TX, declared a cash distribution of $1.0275 per unit payable August 13, 2010 to unitholders of record on August 5, 2010 (the ex-dividend date will be August 3, 2010).

"The Partnership's record earnings for the second quarter were primarily driven by strong performance in our Liquids segment and the continued benefits of our cost containment measures implemented in 2009. As a result of strong year-to-date results and our confidence in the continued strength of both our Liquids and Natural Gas segments we are increasing our full year earnings guidance to a range between $410 million and $430 million," said Terrance L. McGill, president of the Partnership's management company and of its general partner.

McGill added: "We are also very pleased to announce a 2.5-cent distribution increase, which is 2.5 percent higher than the prior quarter and follows a 1.3 percent increase implemented last quarter. This distribution increase is supported by solid earnings, incremental cash flows generated from recently completed projects and attractive new business initiatives being developed that will provide further cash flow growth to the Partnership. The distribution increases approved this year positions the Partnership to achieve the 2 percent to 5 percent annual rate of distribution growth that Management has targeted."

Enbridge Energy Partners, L.P. (Partnership) is engaged in owning and operating crude oil and liquid petroleum transportation and storage assets, and natural gas gathering, treating, processing, transportation and marketing assets in the United States. The company operates in three business segments: liquids, natural gas and marketing. During the year ended December 31, 2009, the portfolio of the company’s assets included approximately 5,900 miles of crude oil gathering and transportation lines and 28.9 million barrels of crude oil storage and terminaling capacity; natural gas gathering and transportation lines totaling approximately 10,000 miles; nine natural gas treating and 22 natural gas processing facilities with an aggregate capacity of approximately 2,900 million cubic feet per day (MMcf/d); trucks, trailers and railcars for transporting natural gas liquids (NGLs), crude oil and carbon dioxide, and marketing assets that provide natural gas supply and sales services.

Flaherty & Crumrine/Claymore Preferred Securities Income Fund Incorporated (NYSE: FFC) July 20, 2010, Pasaadena, CA and Lisle, IL, approved a new dividend amount on its common stock.
The new monthly dividend rate for FFC will be $0.125 per share, which equates to an annual dividend of $1.50 per share. This new monthly dividend represents an increase of approximately 4.2% over the prior monthly dividend.

This dividend rate will be effective with the dividends to be paid on August 31, 2010. Record and expected ex-dividend dates will be announced early next month.

FFC and FLC were organized in 2003 as closed-end, diversified investment companies. FFC invests primarily in preferred securities with an investment objective of high current income consistent with preservation of capital. FLC invests primarily in preferred and other income-producing securities with a primary investment objective of high current income and a secondary objective of capital appreciation. FFC and FLC are managed by Flaherty & Crumrine Incorporated, an independent investment adviser which was founded in 1983 to specialize in the management of portfolios of preferred and related securities. Flaherty & Crumrine also manages two other U.S. closed-end funds: Flaherty & Crumrine Preferred Income Fund (NYSE: PFD – News); and Flaherty & Crumrine Preferred Income Opportunity Fund (NYSE: PFO – News).

Flaherty & Crumrine/Claymore Total Return Fund Incorporated (NYSE: FLC) July 20, 2010, Pasaadena, CA and Lisle, IL, approved a new dividend amount on its common stock.

The new monthly dividend rate for FLC will be $0.132 per share, which equates to an annual dividend of $1.584 per share. This new monthly dividend represents an increase of approximately 5.6% over the prior monthly dividend.
This dividend rate will be effective with the dividends to be paid on August 31, 2010. Record and expected ex-dividend dates will be announced early next month.

FFC and FLC were organized in 2003 as closed-end, diversified investment companies. FFC invests primarily in preferred securities with an investment objective of high current income consistent with preservation of capital. FLC invests primarily in preferred and other income-producing securities with a primary investment objective of high current income and a secondary objective of capital appreciation. FFC and FLC are managed by Flaherty & Crumrine Incorporated, an independent investment adviser which was founded in 1983 to specialize in the management of portfolios of preferred and related securities. Flaherty & Crumrine also manages two other U.S. closed-end funds: Flaherty & Crumrine Preferred Income Fund (NYSE: PFD – News); and Flaherty & Crumrine Preferred Income Opportunity Fund (NYSE: PFO – News).


Flaherty & Crumrine Preferred Income Fund Incorporated (NYSE: PFD) July 20, 2010, Pasadena, CA approved a new dividend amount on its common stock.

The new monthly dividend rate for PFD will be $0.0825 per share, which equates to an annual dividend of $0.99 per share. This new monthly dividend represents an increase of approximately 14.6% over the prior monthly dividend.

These dividend rates will be effective with the dividends to be paid on May 31, 2010. Record and expected ex-dividend dates will be announced early next month.

PFD was organized in 1991 and PFO was organized in 1992 as closed-end, diversified investment companies which invest primarily in preferred securities. Each Fund's investment objective for holders of its common stock is high current income consistent with preservation of capital. PFD and PFO are managed by Flaherty & Crumrine Incorporated, an independent investment adviser which was founded in 1983 to specialize in the management of portfolios of preferred and related securities. Flaherty & Crumrine also manages two other U.S. closed-end funds: Flaherty & Crumrine/Claymore Preferred Securities Income Fund.

Flaherty & Crumrine Preferred Income Opportunity Fund Incorporated (NYSE: PFO) July 20, 2010, Pasadena, CA approved a new dividend amount on its common stock.

The new monthly dividend rate for PFO will be $0.0725 per share, which equates to an annual dividend of $0.87 per share. This new monthly dividend represents an increase of approximately 9.8% over the prior monthly dividend.

These dividend rates will be effective with the dividends to be paid on August 31, 2010. Record and expected ex-dividend dates will be announced early next month.

PFD was organized in 1991 and PFO was organized in 1992 as closed-end, diversified investment companies which invest primarily in preferred securities. Each Fund's investment objective for holders of its common stock is high current income consistent with preservation of capital. PFD and PFO are managed by Flaherty & Crumrine Incorporated, an independent investment adviser which was founded in 1983 to specialize in the management of portfolios of preferred and related securities. Flaherty & Crumrine also manages two other U.S. closed-end funds: Flaherty & Crumrine/Claymore Preferred Securities Income Fund.

FPB Financial Corp. (Pinksheets: FPBF) July 20, Hammond, LA, the holding company for Florida Parishes Bank, announced earnings for the quarter ended June 30, 2010.

Net income available to common shareholders for the three month period ending June 30, 2010 decreased 18.4% to $422,000; ($1.15 diluted available earnings per common share) compared to $516,000 ($1.45 diluted available earnings per common share) in the 2009 period.

Fritz W. Anderson II, Chairman of the Board announced today that "On July 8, 2010, the Board of Directors of FPB Financial Corp. declared a cash dividend on the common stock of the Company bearing Cusip #302549 10 0. The dividend rate will be $0.14 per share and will be paid on September 24, 2010 to stockholders of record at the close of business on September 10, 2010."

FPB Financial Corp. is headquartered in Hammond, LA and is the parent company of Florida Parishes Bank. The Company's common stock is traded under the "FPBF" symbol.

General Electric Company (NYSE: GE) July 28, 2010, Fairfield, CT, raised its quarterly dividend 20 percent from $0.10 per outstanding share of the company's common stock to $0.12 per outstanding share of the Company's common stock.

According to a news release, the board declared that the dividend is payable October 25, to shareowners of record at the close of business on September 20. The ex-dividend date is September 16.

In addition, the board extended the existing share-repurchase plan, which would have otherwise expired on Dec. 31, through 2013. Repurchases under the existing $15 billion repurchase plan were suspended on September 25, 2008.

The plan currently has approximately $11.6 billion in remaining authorization. The Company will resume repurchases under the plan this quarter.

"We are able to restore the GE dividend at a historical payout level for 2010 earlier than previously anticipated and to extend our share buyback program because of continued strong cash generation, recovery at GE Capital, and solid underlying performance in our Industrial businesses through the first half of 2010," GE CEO Jeff Immelt said. "In addition, the Company continues to plan on capitalizing on strategic and financially attractive inorganic growth opportunities.

"We are executing well, progressing on our plans to make GE Capital a smaller, more competitive specialty-finance company, and continuing to generate strong cash flow. This gives us the flexibility to allocate capital for growth and shareholder value, while keeping GE safe and secure."

GE is a diversified infrastructure, finance and media company.

Genesis Energy, L.P. (AMEX:GEL) July 11, 2010, Houston, TX, announced its second quarter results. Significant events for the quarter ended June 30, 2010 included the following items:

For the second quarter of 2010, we generated total Available Cash before Reserves of $26.1 million. Available Cash for the same period in 2009 was $22.2 million. All of our segments reported improved results from the prior year period. Available Cash before

Reserves is a non-GAAP measure that is defined and reconciled later in this press release to its most directly comparable GAAP financial measure, net cash provided by operating activities. Net cash utilized in operating activities was $2.6 million for the second quarter of 2010 and net cash provided by operating activities was $15.9 million for the second quarter of 2009.

Net income attributable to the Partnership for the second quarter of 2010 was $14.2 million, or $0.29 per common unit, as compared to net income attributable to the Partnership of $4.5 million, or $0.13 per unit, for the second quarter of 2009. See the Calculation of Net Income per Common Unit included in the tables at the end of this press release.

On June 29, 2010, we restructured our senior secured revolving credit agreement. Our credit agreement is now a $525 million facility, with an accordion feature whereby the total credit available can be increased up to $650 million. Among other changes, our new credit agreement includes a $75 million sublimit tranche for crude oil and petroleum products inventory and it now matures in June 2015.

On August 13, 2010, we will pay a total quarterly distribution of $17.8 million attributable to our financial and operational results for the second quarter of 2010, including $14.8 million payable to our common unitholders based on our quarterly distribution rate of $0.375 per unit, and $3.0 million payable to our general partner, which includes its incentive distribution amount. Our distribution coverage ratio -- Available Cash before Reserves divided by our total distribution attributable to the second quarter -- was approximately 1.5 times.

Our distribution attributable to the second quarter of 2010 will be our twentieth consecutive quarter with an increase in the per unit distribution. The quarterly distribution of $0.375 per unit represents a 2.0% increase in the distribution paid relative to the previous quarter and an approximately 8.7% increase over the year earlier period.

Herbalife Ltd. (NYSE: HLF) August 2, 2010 Los Angeles increased its dividend. Second quarter EPS increased 71.4 percent to $1.32 compared to the prior year period.

Board of Directors authorizes increase in quarterly cash dividend from $0.20 to $0.25.

For the quarter ended June 30, 2010, the company reported net income of $81.9 million, or $1.32 per diluted share compared to $48.3 million or $0.77 per diluted share in the second quarter of 2009, primarily reflecting the contribution margin from higher volume combined with a lower effective tax rate, partially offset by the impact of foreign currency fluctuations.
For the quarter ended June 30, 2010, the company generated cash flow from operations of $83.0 million, paid dividends of $12.0 million, invested $12.3 million in capital expenditures and repurchased $51.2 million in common stock. The company's net debt balanceat the end of the second quarter was $73.1 million, reflecting an improvement of $26.4 million from December 31, 2009.

"This quarter our distributors have truly outdone themselves and delivered the three highest months of volume in our 30-year history, which far exceeded even our most optimistic expectations," said Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Michael O. Johnson. "Not only was our growth broad-based, but some of the countries we have been operating in the longest like the United States, Mexico and Korea are each experiencing double-digit growth even though they have been open 30, 20 and 15 years respectively. These results demonstrate the opportunity in front of us as our distributors continue to build sustainable businesses with long-term customers."

During the second quarter the company hosted approximately 43,000 people at Extravaganzas in Nanjing, China, Rio de Janiero, Brazil and Singapore.

Herbalife Ltd. is a global network marketing company that sells weight-management, nutrition, and personal care products intended to support a healthy lifestyle. Herbalife products are sold in 73 countries through a network of approximately 2.1 million independent distributors. The company supports the Herbalife Family Foundation and its Casa Herbalife program to help bring good nutrition to children.

International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. (NYSE: IFF) July 27, 2010, New York, NY is a global creator of flavors and fragrances for consumer products. IT announced that its board of directors authorized an increase in the company's quarterly cash dividend, raising it eight percent from $0.25 to $0.27. This marks the fifth increase in six years that the board has raised the dividend. The increased quarterly dividend of $0.27 per share will be paid on October 6, 2010 to all IFF shareholders of record as of September 22, 2010.

"IFF prides itself on its track record of returning cash to shareholders. Over the last five years, we have returned over $1.2 billion through the combination of share repurchases and dividends," said IFF Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Doug Tough. "Today's announcement is further evidence of Management's and the Board's confidence in our long-term outlook."
International Flavors & Fragrances Inc., is a leading global creator of flavors and fragrances used in a wide variety of consumer products and packaged goods. Consumers experience these unique scents and tastes in fine fragrances and beauty care, detergents and household goods, as well as beverages, confectionery and food products. The Company leverages its competitive advantages of brand understanding and consumer insight combined with its focus on R&D and innovation, to provide customers with differentiated product offerings.

Kaydon Corporation (NYSE: KDN) July 29, 2010, Ann Arbor, MI, announced that its board of directors declared a 5.6 percent increase in its regular quarterly dividend, to $.19 per share from $.18 per share. The dividend is payable on October 4, 2010 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on September 13, 2010. The indicated annual dividend rate will now be $.76 per share. This is the fourth consecutive year in which the company has increased its quarterly dividend.

James O'Leary, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer commented, "The Board of Directors of Kaydon shares management's confidence in the fundamental strength of the Company's businesses. Our businesses' demonstrated cash generating ability, together with our strong balance sheet, are reflected by this enhanced return to our shareholders."

Kaydon Corporation is a leading designer and manufacturer of custom engineered, performance-critical products, supplying a broad and diverse group of alternative energy, industrial, aerospace, medical and electronic equipment, and aftermarket customers.

Landstar System, Inc. (Nasdaq: LSTR) July 14, 2010, Jackson, FL announced that its board of directors has declared a quarterly dividend of $0.05 per share. This represents an 11 percent increase in the company's quarterly dividend. The dividend is payable on August 27, 2010 to stockholders of record at the close of business on August 9, 2010. It is the intention of the board of directors to continue to pay a quarterly dividend. During the 2010 second quarter, Landstar purchased 510,062 shares of its common stock at a total cost of $20.6 million. Under the Company's authorized share purchase program, the Company currently has a total of 745,000 shares of its common stock available for purchase.

Landstar System, Inc. reported a 31 percent increase in revenue to $641.7 million in the 2010 second quarter, up from $491.2 million in the 2009 second quarter. Net income for the 2010 second quarter was $24.4 million, or $0.49 per diluted share, compared to $17.9 million, or $0.35 per diluted share for the 2009 second quarter. Operating income increased 34 percent to $40.0 million in the 2010 second quarter compared to $29.8 million in the 2009 second quarter.

Truck transportation revenue hauled by business capacity owners and truck brokerage carriers in the 2010 second quarter was $592.0 million, or 92 percent of revenue, compared to $453.8 million, or 92 percent of revenue, in the 2009 second quarter. Included in revenue hauled by truck brokerage carriers in the 2010 and 2009 second quarters were $23.1 million and $9.2 million, respectively, of fuel surcharges invoiced to customers. In the 2010 and 2009 second quarters, the Company also invoiced customers $53.1 million and $27.3 million, respectively, of fuel surcharges that were passed 100 percent to business capacity owners and excluded from revenue. Revenue hauled by rail, air and ocean cargo carriers was $35.0 million, or 6 percent of revenue, in the 2010 second quarter compared to $28.2 million, or 6 percent of revenue, in the 2009 second quarter. Transportation management fee revenue generated by the supply chain solutions companies was $6.1 million, or 1 percent of revenue, in the 2010 second quarter.

Landstar System, Inc. is a non-asset based provider of integrated supply chain solutions. Landstar delivers safe, specialized transportation, warehousing and logistics services to a broad range of customers worldwide utilizing a network of agents, third-party capacity owners and employees. All Landstar transportation companies are certified to ISO 9001:2008 quality management system standards.

Lindsay Corp. (NYSE: LNN) July 20, 2010, Omaha, NB, a provider of irrigation systems and infrastructure products, announced today that its board of directors has declared a 6 percent increase in its regular quarterly cash dividend to $0.085 per share, payable August 31, 2010, to shareholders of record on August 17, 2010. The regular quarterly cash dividend was previously $0.08 per share. The new annual indicated rate is $0.34 per share, up from the previous annual indicated rate of $0.32 per share.

Lindsay manufactures and markets irrigation equipment primarily used in agricultural markets which increase or stabilize crop production while conserving water, energy, and labor. The Company also manufactures and markets infrastructure and road safety products through its wholly owned subsidiaries, Barrier Systems Inc. and Snoline S.P.A.

Malaga Financial Corporation (OTCBB:MLGF), July 15, 2010, Palos Verdes Estates, CA, the parent company of Malaga Bank FSB, reported that net income for the quarter ended June 30, 2010 was $2,632,000 ($0.45 basic and $0.44 fully diluted earnings per share), an increase of $414,000 or 19% from net income of $2,218,000 ($0.39 basic and $0.38 fully diluted earnings per share) for the quarter ended June 30, 2009. Net income for the six months ended June 30, 2010 was $5,072,000 ($0.87 basic and $0.86 fully diluted earnings per share) as compared to $4,629,000 ($0.81 basic and $0.80 fully diluted earnings per share) for the six months ended June 30, 2009, a 10% increase. Earnings for the second quarter and first six months were the highest in Malaga Financial’s history for those periods.

The company also reported its board of directors had elected to increase the company’s regular quarterly dividend from $.08 per share to $.10 per share to shareholders of record on July 12, 2010.

Net income increased primarily due to continued growth in interest earning assets and improvement in the interest rate spread.
The company did not have any delinquent loans or real estate owned at June 30, 2010. The company’s allowance for loan losses was $2,862,000, or 0.37% of total loans, at June 30, 2010.

Malaga Bank opened its first office in Palos Verdes Estates on March 14, 1985. As a full service community bank we have been serving the financial needs of the South Bay community for over 25 years. Malaga Bank offers a variety of personal banking products, business banking products and loan products that compare favorably with those at larger financial institutions. Malaga Bank's philosophy is to provide a broad range of financial products and services to the entire South Bay community with the best in hospitality and service to go along with them.

National Retail Properties, Inc. (NYSE: NNN), July 15, 2010, Orlando, FL a real estate investment trust, declared a quarterly dividend of 38 cents per share payable August 16, 2010 to common shareholders of record on July 30, 2010.

The dividend represents a 1.3% increase in the quarterly dividend rate. National Retail Properties has paid increased annual dividends per share for 20 consecutive years and is one of only 114 publicly traded companies in America that have increased annual dividends paid to shareholders for 20 or more
consecutive years.

National Retail Properties invests primarily in high-quality retail properties subject generally to long-term, net leases. As of March 31, 2010, the company owned 1,014 Investment Properties in 43 states with a gross leasable area of approximately 11.4 million square feet.

Nationwide Health Properties, Inc. (NYSE: NHP) August 3, 3010, Newport Beach, CA, announced that its board of directors declared a quarterly common stock cash dividend of $0.46 per share, a $0.01 increase from the prior quarterly dividend of $0.45 per share. The dividend will be paid on September 3, 2010 to stockholders of record on August 20, 2010.

Nationwide Health Properties, Incis real estate investment trust (REIT) invests primarily in senior housing, long-term care properties and medical office buildings. The company’s operations are organized into two segments: triple-net leases and multi-tenant leases. In the triple-net leases segment, it invests in healthcare related properties and lease the facilities to unaffiliated tenants under triple-net and generally master leases that transfer the obligation for all facility operating costs (including maintenance, repairs, taxes, insurance and capital expenditures) to the tenant. In the multi-tenant leases segment, it invests in healthcare related properties that have several tenants under separate leases in each building, thus requiring active management and responsibility for many of the associated operating expenses (although many of these are, or can effectively be, passed through to the tenants).

Newmont Mining Corporation (NYSE: NEM) July 28, 2010, Denver, CO declared an increase in the company's regular quarterly dividend from $0.10 per share of common stock to $0.15 per share of common stock, payable September 29, 2010 to holders of record at the close of business on September 8, 2010.

In addition, Newmont Mining Corporation of Canada Limited (CA:NMC 56.96, 0.00, 0.00%) today declared a regular quarterly dividend of Cdn $0.1554 per share on its exchangeable shares, payable September 29, 2010 to holders of record at the close of business on September 8, 2010. This dividend is designated as an "eligible dividend" for Canadian tax purposes.

Newmont Mining Corporation (Newmont) is a gold producing company with assets or operations in the United States, Australia, Peru, Indonesia, Ghana, Canada, New Zealand and Mexico. It is also engaged in the production of copper, principally through its Batu Hijau operation in Indonesia and Boddington operation in Australia. At December 31, 2009, Newmont had proven and probable gold reserves of 91.8 million equity ounces and an aggregate land position of approximately 33,400 square miles (86,500 square kilometers). In June 2009, the Company completed the acquisition of the remaining 33.33% interest in Boddington from AngloGold Ashanti Australia Limited (AngloGold).

Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE: NSC) July 27, 2010, Norfolk, VA announced that its board of directors today voted to increase the regular quarterly dividend on the company's common stock by 6 percent, or 2 cents per share, from 34 to 36 cents per share. The increased dividend is payable on Sept. 10, to stockholders of record on Aug. 6.

Since its inception in 1982, Norfolk Southern has paid dividends on its common stock for 112 consecutive quarters. The company is a transportation company. Its Norfolk Southern Railway subsidiary operates approximately 21,000 route miles in 22 states and the District of Columbia, serves every major container port in the eastern United States, and provides efficient connections to other rail carriers. Norfolk Southern operates the most extensive intermodal network in the East and is a major transporter of coal and industrial products.

Omega Healthcare Investors, Inc. (NYSE:OHI) July 15, 2010, Hunt Valley, MD, announced that its board of directors declared a common stock dividend of $0.36 per share, increasing the quarterly common dividend by $0.04, or 12.5%, per share over the prior quarter, and declared its regular quarterly dividend for the Company’s Series D preferred stock.

The company announced its a common stock dividend of $0.36 per share, to be paid August 16, 2010 to common stockholders of record on July 30, 2010. At the date of this release the Company had approximately 95 million outstanding common shares.
The company’s board of directors also declared its regular quarterly dividend for the Series D preferred stock, payable August 16, 2010 to preferred stockholders of record on July 30, 2010. Series D preferred stockholders of record will be paid dividends in the approximate amount of $0.52344 per preferred share. The liquidation preference for the Company’s Series D preferred stock is $25.00 per share. Regular quarterly preferred dividends represent dividends for the period April 1, 2010 through July 30, 2010.

Omega Healthcare Investors, Inc. is a real estate investment trust investing in and providing financing to the long-term care industry. At March 31, 2010, Omega owned or held mortgages on 293 skilled nursing facilities, assisted living facilities and other specialty hospitals with approximately 34,279 licensed beds (32,835 available beds) located in 32 states and operated by 35 third-party healthcare operating companies. In addition, Omega has two closed facilities currently held for sale.

ONEOK, Inc. (NYSE: OKE) July 15, 2010, Tulsa, OK, increased the quarterly dividend to 46 cents per share of common stock from 44 cents per share, effective for the second quarter 2010, payable August 13, 2010, to shareholders of record at the close of business July 30, 2010.

"This dividend increase demonstrates our continuing commitment to providing attractive returns to our shareholders and is consistent with our 2010 cash flow guidance of increasing the dividend 2 cents per share semiannually," said John W. Gibson,
ONEOK president and chief executive officer.

Since January 2006, the company has increased the dividend nine times, representing a 64 percent increase during that period.

ONEOK, Inc. is a diversified energy company. The company is the general partner and own 42.8 percent of ONEOK Partners, L.P. one of the largest publicly traded master limited partnerships. ONEOK is an enterprise that gathers, processes, stores and transport natural gas in the U.S. and owns one of the nation's premier natural gas liquids (NGL) systems, connecting NGL supply in the Mid-Continent and Rocky Mountain regions with key market centers. ONEOK is among the largest natural gas distributors in the United States, serving more than two million customers in Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas.

Orrstown Financial Services, Inc. (NASDAQ: ORRF) July 22, 2010, Shippenburg, PA, Second quarter 2010 earnings up 13% vs. second quarter 2009. Second quarter 2010 cash dividend up 2.3% vs. second quarter 2009

Loan Loss Reserve up 97% since June 30, 2009

Nonperforming assets down 34% since March 31, 2010

Orrstown Financial Services announced that net income increased 13.0% to $3,904,000 for the quarter ended June 30, 2010 from $3,454,000 for the second quarter of 2009. Diluted earnings per share amounted to $.47 for the quarter ended June 30, 2010 as compared to $.51 for the corresponding prior year period.

The company also announced that its board of directors declared an increase in the third quarter cash dividend to $.225 per share for shareholders of record on August 6, 2010. The dividend will be paid on August 18, 2010.

Commenting on the second quarter results, Thomas R. Quinn, Jr., President and CEO, stated: "The momentum created with record earnings in 2009 and a strong first quarter 2010 have continued through the midpoint of the year. Indicators of the financial strength of our Company this quarter include: increasing our dividend; improving earnings 13% vs. the same quarter last year; and significantly reducing nonperforming assets since the first quarter of 2010. In addition to the financial achievements realized this quarter, we were also named the 39th best performing community bank in the nation by US Banker magazine. This is an improvement from our ranking of 52nd the previous year and marks the 5th consecutive year that we have been part of this elite group.

With over $1.3 billion in assets, Orrstown Financial Services, Inc. and its subsidiary, Orrstown Bank, provide a full range of consumer and business financial services through twenty one banking offices and two remote service facilities located in Cumberland, Franklin and Perry Counties, Pennsylvania and Washington County, Maryland.

PetMed Express, Inc. (NASDAQ: PETS) August 2, 2010, Pompano Beach, FL announced that its board of directors declared a quarterly dividend of $0.125 per share on its common stock, compared to the $0.10 per share dividend that has been paid in prior quarters. The dividend will be payable on August 27, 2010, to shareholders of record at the close of business on August 13, 2010. The Company intends to continue to pay regular quarterly dividends; however the declaration and payment of future dividends is discretionary and will be subject to a determination by the Board of Directors each quarter following its review of the Company's financial performance.

Menderes Akdag, CEO and President, commented: "This 25% increase in our quarterly dividend further illustrates our continuing commitment to returning capital to our shareholders."

Founded in 1996, PetMed Express is America's Largest Pet Pharmacy, delivering prescription and non-prescription pet medications and other health products for dogs, cats, and horses at competitive prices direct to the consumer through its 1-800-PetMeds toll free number and on the Internet through its website at www.1800petmeds.com.

PPG Industries, Inc. (NYSE: PPG) July 15, 2010, Pittsburgh, PA, approved an increase in the company's dividend, declaring a regular quarterly dividend of 55 cents per share, payable Sept. 10 to shareholders of record Aug. 10.

"We are pleased to continue PPG's tradition of returning cash to our shareholders," said Charles E. Bunch, PPG chairman and chief executive officer. "This marks our second quarterly dividend rate increase within a year and demonstrates the confidence we have in the strength and consistent cash generation of our global business portfolio."

PPG's prior quarterly dividend was 54 cents a share.
This marks the company's 448th consecutive dividend payment. PPG has paid uninterrupted annual dividends since 1899.
PPG Industries' vision is to continue to be the world's leading coatings and specialty products company. Founded in 1883, the company serves customers in industrial, transportation, consumer products, and construction markets and aftermarkets. With headquarters in Pittsburgh, PPG operates in more than 60 countries around the globe. Sales in 2009 were $12.2 billion.

Proctor and Gamble Co. (NYSE: PG) July 13, 2010, Cincinnati, OH raised its dividend by 9.5 percent, or 4 cents per share.

The Cincinnati-based company whose brands include Tide detergent, Pampers diapers and Pantene shampoo, said Tuesday its board of directors increased the quarterly dividend to 48 cents per share, the second straight quarterly 4-cent increase.
The dividend is payable on or after Aug. 16 to shareholders of record at the close of business on July 23.

P and G reported rebounding sales in its third quarter, when they rose 7 percent as households responded to new products, price cuts and stepped-up marketing.

P and G says this is the 54th consecutive year it has increased dividends.

The Procter and Gamble Company is focused on providing branded consumer packaged goods. The company’s products are sold in over 180 countries worldwide primarily through mass merchandisers, grocery stores, membership club stores, drug stores and in high-frequency stores, the neighborhood stores, which serve consumers in developing markets. As of June 30, 2009, the company was organized into three Global Business Units: Beauty; Health and Well-Being, and Household Care. The Company had six business segments under United States Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP): Beauty; Grooming; Health Care; Snacks and Pet Care; Fabric Care and Home Care, and Baby Care and Family Care. In August 2009, AnimalScan, LLC announced that it has acquired Iams Pet Imaging, LLC from The Procter and Gamble Company and ProScan Imaging. In July 2010, Sara Lee Corporation completed the sale of its air care business to The Procter and Gamble Company.

Republic Services Inc.'s (NYSE: RSG) August 2, 2010, Phoenix, AZ, second-quarter profit declined 29% on a prior-year divestiture gain as the garbage hauler also reported lower volume.

The company also announced its board approved a 5% dividend increase, resulting in a quarterly payment of 20 cents a share.
Republic Services, Inc. is engaged in the collection, transfer and disposal of non-hazardous solid waste. The Company provides non-hazardous solid waste collection services for commercial, industrial, municipal and residential customers through 376 collection companies in 40 states and Puerto Rico. The Company owns or operates 223 transfer stations, 192 active solid waste landfills and 78 recycling facilities. It also operates 74 landfill gas and renewable energy projects. The Company manages its operations through four segments: Eastern, Midwest, Southern and Western. In October 2009, Waste Services, Inc. completed an acquisition of the operations and related assets of Republic Services, Inc. in Miami-Dade County, Florida.


Resources Connection, Inc. (NASDAQ: RECN) July 20, 2010, Irvine, CA, announced that its board of directors has approved the commencement of a regular quarterly dividend of $0.04 per share. The first dividend will be payable to shareholders of record on August 18, 2010 and payable September 15, 2010. The company's board of directors will assess and approve future dividends quarterly.

"The board of directors is pleased to announce the inception of a regular $0.04 per share quarterly dividend," said Don Murray, chief executive officer of Resources. "Given our track record of positive cash generation even in a difficult economic environment, we believe a regular dividend provides a consistent way to return capital to shareholders, while still maintaining an adequate capital base to invest, as opportunities present themselves, in opportunities for growth."

Total revenue for the year ended May 29, 2010 was $499.0 million, down 27.2% from $685.6 million for fiscal 2009. Revenues in the U.S. in fiscal 2010 were down 23.5% from the prior year while international revenues in fiscal 2010 decreased 36.4% from the prior year (37.6% on a constant dollar basis).

The Company's net loss for the year ended May 29, 2010, was $11.7 million, or $0.26 per diluted share. This compares with net income for the year ended May 30, 2009, of $17.8 million, or $0.39 per diluted share.

Resources Global was founded in 1996 within a Big Four accounting firm. Today, we are a publicly traded company with over 2,700 professionals, annually serving 1,800 clients around the world from more than 80 practice offices.
Headquartered in Irvine, California, Resources Global has served 83 of the Fortune 100 companies.

RPC, Inc. (NYSE: RES) July 28, 2010, Atlanta, GA, announced that its board of directors declared a 50.0 percent increase in the regular quarterly cash dividend from $0.04 per share to $0.06 per share payable September 10, 2010 to common stockholders of record at the close of business on August 10, 2010.

RPC provides a broad range of specialized oilfield services and equipment primarily to independent and major oilfield companies engaged in the exploration, production and development of oil and gas properties throughout the United States, including the Gulf of Mexico, mid-continent, southwest, Appalachian and Rocky Mountain regions, and in selected international markets.

Ryder System, Inc. (NYSE: R) July 16, 2010, Miami, FL, a provider of transportation and supply chain management solutions, declared a regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.27 per share of common stock, to be paid on September 17, 2010, to shareholders of record on August 23, 2010. The dividend reflects a $0.02 increase from the $0.25 cash dividend Ryder had been paying quarterly since September of 2009. This is Ryder's 136th consecutive quarterly cash payment.

"Ryder's management team and board of directors are pleased that our continuing solid cash flow and access to capital are enabling Ryder to deliver enhanced value to shareholders," said Ryder Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Greg Swienton. "This represents the sixth dividend increase that we have delivered to Ryder shareholders since early 2005."

"Ryder's management team and board of directors are pleased that our continuing solid cash flow and access to capital are enabling Ryder to deliver enhanced value to shareholders," said Ryder Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Greg Swienton. "This represents the sixth dividend increase that we have delivered to Ryder shareholders since early 2005."

Sealed Air Corporation (NYSE: SEE) July 27, 2010, Elwood Park, NJ
For second quarter 2010, sales increased 6% to $1.09 billion reflecting approximately 5% higher volumes and 3% favorable foreign exchange, partially offset by 1% lower price/mix. The Protective Packaging segment led the volume growth with a $33 million, or 12%, increase reflecting improved end-market demand in all regions through the quarter. Price/mix primarily reflects the timing of contract price adjustments for resin costs in our North American Food Packaging business. We expect these prices to continue to adjust favorably in the third quarter. Gross profit increased 4% to $301 million, or 27.6% of net sales, while operating profit increased 9% to $129 million, or 11.9% of net sales.

Commenting on our operating performance, William V. Hickey, President and Chief Executive Officer, stated:

"Volumes grew in all of our businesses and in all of our regions for the first half of the year. While growth in our food businesses was modest, it exceeded customer production volumes in the period. Although our growth was partially driven by a modest economic improvement, we are seeing the benefits of our steadfast commitment to innovation and technology even in the face of economic uncertainty. Our results also reflect the strength of our portfolio, international footprint, and continued strong equipment demand. We began to realize benefits from our pricing actions in May and expect these benefits to continue through the balance of the year along with favorable third quarter contract adjustments.

Today, we are announcing an 8% increase in our cash dividend. This increase reflects our confidence in our ability to generate solid cash flow while funding opportunities for long term growth and our commitment to return cash to our stockholders."

For fifty years, Sealed Air has been a leading global innovator and manufacturer of a wide range of packaging and performance-based materials and equipment systems that now serve an array of food, industrial, medical, and consumer applications.

Operating in 51 countries, Sealed Air's international reach generated revenue of $4.2 billion in 2009. With widely recognized brands such as Bubble Wrap(R) brand cushioning, Jiffy(R) protective mailers, Instapak(R) foam-in-place systems and Cryovac(R) packaging technology,.

Solera Holdings, Inc. Increases Quarterly Dividend 20%; Announces Cash Dividend for Fiscal Year 2011 First Quarter

Solera Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: SLH), July 19, 2010 San Diego, FL, a global provider of software and services to the automobile insurance claims processing industry, announced that its board of directors has approved an increase in its quarterly dividend of 20% per share of outstanding common stock and per outstanding restricted stock unit.

This increase translates into an annual rate of $0.30 cents per share of outstanding common stock and per outstanding restricted stock unit, up from Solera's fiscal 2010 annual rate of $0.25.

Solera also announced that its board of directors has approved the payment of a quarterly cash dividend of $0.075 per share of outstanding common stock and per outstanding restricted stock unit payable on September 22, 2010 to stockholders and restricted stock unit holders of record at the close of business on September 9, 2010.

"An annual review of our dividend is an essential component of our capital allocation strategy, and I'm pleased to announce this increase," said Tony Aquila, founder, chairman and CEO of Solera Holdings, Inc. "This increase reflects our continued strong financial performance, confidence in our cash generation capabilities and commitment to enhancing total stockholder returns while we maintain our focus on our M and A strategy."

Solera is the leading global provider of software and services to the automobile insurance claims processing industry. Solera is active in over 50 countries across six continents. The Solera companies include Audatex in the United States, Canada, and in more than 45 additional countries, Informex in Belgium and Greece, Sidexa in France, ABZ and Market Scan in The Netherlands, HPI in the United Kingdom, Hollander serving the North American recycling market, AUTOonline providing salvage disposition in a number of European and Latin American countries, and IMS providing medical review services.

Spectra Energy Partners, LP (NYSE: SEP) July 20, 2010, Houston, TX, announced the board of directors of its general partner declared a quarterly cash distribution to unitholders of $0.43 per unit for the quarter ended June 30, 2010. This represents a 2.4 percent increase over the first quarter 2010 distribution of $0.42 per unit paid on May 14, 2010, and a 13.2 percent increase over the second quarter 2009 distribution of $0.38 per unit. The cash distribution is payable on August 13, 2010, to unitholders of record at the close of business on August 3, 2010. This quarterly cash distribution equates to $1.72 per unit on an annual basis.

Stanley Black and Decker (NYSE: SWK) July 16, 2010, New Britain, CT, announced that its board of directors approved a 3% increase of its quarterly cash dividend to $0.34 per common share. This extends the company’s record for the longest consecutive annual and quarterly dividend payments among industrial companies listed on the New York Stock Exchange. The dividend is payable on Tuesday, September 21, 2010 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on Friday, September 3, 2010.

John F. Lundgren, President and Chief Executive Officer, stated, “We are as focused as ever on the total return we deliver to shareholders. Stanley Black and Decker’s ability to generate consistent free cash flow and return a portion to shareholders by way of our dividend remains a key component to our capital allocation strategy.”

Stanley Black and Decker is a diversified global provider of hand tools, power tools and related accessories, mechanical access solutions and electronic security solutions, engineered fastening systems, and more.

Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ: SBUX) July 21, 2010, Seattle, WA, board of directors has declared an increased cash dividend to its shareholders. The quarterly dividend of $0.13 per share, an increase of 30 percent from $0.10 per share, will be paid on August 20, 2010, to shareholders of record at the close of business on August 4, 2010.

"Given the continued strength of our business, as evidenced by record third-quarter earnings and the resulting strong cash flow, we have increased our quarterly cash dividend," said Troy Alstead, executive vice president and cfo. "Our commitment to returning value to our shareholders is demonstrated in both the increased cash dividend and the repurchase of 6.7 million shares of Starbucks common stock in the third quarter."

TESSCO Technologies Incorporated (NASDAQ: TESS) July 21, 2010, Hunt Valley, MD, a provider of the product and value chain solutions required to deploy and support wireless systems, today announced its results for the first quarter of fiscal 2011 ending June 27, 2010.

The company will continue its quarterly dividend program with another $0.10 per common share cash dividend payable on August 25, 2010 to holders of record on August 11, 2010. This represents a 50% increase compared to the quarterly dividends the company paid when it initiated its dividend program in August 2009.

Any future declaration of dividends, and the establishment of record and payment dates, is subject to further determinations of the company's board of directors.

"I am extraordinarily proud that we grew revenues 30% over last year's first quarter, on top of last fiscal year's records, all in a still uncertain economic environment," said Robert B. Barnhill, TESSCO's Chairman, President and CEO. "This performance was a result of excellent execution on the three pillars of our strategic plan:

"As a result we sold more product categories to a record number of customers, and entered new markets and introduced new products and solution areas, with a strong balance sheet and profitability.

"We are off to a terrific start in the new fiscal year and look forward to growing momentum as the year progresses and we accelerate the execution of our strategic plan."

Revenues for the first quarter of fiscal 2011 totaled $142.0 million compared to $108.8 million in the fiscal 2010 first quarter, an increase of 30.5%. Gross profit for the 2011 first quarter was $32.3 million, or 22.8% of revenue, compared to $29.0 million, or 26.7% of revenue, in the prior-year period. This decrease in margin primarily reflected changes in product mix in our mobile devices and accessories business, mostly related to our concentrated business. EBITDA* totaled $4.5 million in the 2011 first quarter compared to $4.3 million in the prior-year period. The company reported net income of $2.1 million, or $0.26 per diluted share, in the first quarter of fiscal 2011, compared to $1.9 million, or $0.25 per diluted share, in the prior-year quarter. Earnings per share for all periods presented are adjusted for the 3-for-2 stock split that took effect on May 26, 2010.

As of June 27, 2010, the company's cash balance totaled $4.7 million and there was no balance outstanding on the revolving line of credit.

UDR Inc. (NYSE: UDR) August 2, 2010 Highland Ranch, CO, a multifamily real estate investment trust UDR Inc. announced its second-quarter FFO declined by 15% from last year, hurt by lower same-store revenue, and higher expenses despite higher occupancy levels. However, the company raised its FFO outlook as well as its annual dividend for fiscal 2010, citing "better than expected improvement" in operating performance.

The Highlands Ranch, Colorado-based company reported funds from operations of $45.7 million or $0.27 per share for the second quarter, down from $53.7 million or $0.34 per share in the prior year quarter.

The result for the latest quarter included a one-time charge of $0.01 per share for storm-related expenses to its Nashville communities, and charges for the repurchase of $29.2 million of the company's unsecured debt.

Excluding these one-time charges, FFO-Core dropped to $0.28 per share from $0.32 per share in the year-ago quarter.

Net loss attributable to common shareholders widened to $28.9 million or $0.18 per share from $14.9 million or $0.10 per share in the second quarter of 2009.

Second quarter rental income increased to $153.9 million from $151.8 million in the same quarter last year. Eleven analysts had a consensus revenue estimate of $151.98 million for the second quarter.

Same-store revenue declined 2.1% year-over-year, while net operating income (NOI) decreased 3.4% for the second quarter 2010. Same-store physical occupancy increased 30 basis points to 95.8% over a year ago.

United Financial Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ: UBNK) July 16, 2010, West Springfield, MA, the holding company for United Bank (the "Bank"), reported net income of $2.9 million, or $0.19 per diluted share, for the second quarter of 2010 compared to net income of $560,000, or $0.04 per diluted share, for the corresponding period in 2009.

Excluding expenses totaling $1.2 million related to the acquisition of Commonwealth National Bank (non-deductible for income tax purposes), net income would have been $1.7 million, or $0.11 per diluted share, for the second quarter of 2009.
The company also announced a 14% increase in its quarterly cash dividend to $0.08 per share, payable on August 27, 2010 to shareholders of record as of August 6, 2010.

"We are very pleased with our financial results which reflect net interest margin expansion, growth in average loans and deposits, lower provision for loan losses and an increase in fee income," commented Richard B. Collins, President and Chief Executive Officer. "Our performance is indicative of a positive contribution from our new Worcester market, as well as our focus on profitably growing our franchise, maintaining solid asset quality and improving our operating efficiency. We believe we are well positioned for this challenging economic environment given our healthy balance sheet, substantial capital base and strong liquidity level."

United Financial Bancorp, Inc. is a publicly owned corporation and the holding company of United Bank, a federally chartered savings bank headquartered at 95 Elm Street, West Springfield, MA 01090. United Bank operates 16 full service branch offices and two express drive-up branches located throughout Hampden and Hampshire Counties in Western Massachusetts and six full service branch offices located in Worcester County. Through its Wealth Management Group and its partnership with NFP Securities, Inc., the Bank is able to offer access to a wide range of investment and insurance products and services, as well as financial, estate and retirement strategies and products.

Vanguard Natural Resources, LLC (NYSE: VNR) July 21, 2010, Houston, TX, announced that its board of directors has approved an increase in the quarterly distribution to $0.55 per unit ($2.20 on an annual basis) for the second quarter of 2010 which will be payable on August 13, 2010 to unitholders of record on August 6, 2010.

With this increase, the company will have increased its quarterly distribution by $0.025 per unit or approximately 5% over the first quarter 2010 distribution of $0.525 per unit and over the course of the last twelve months will have increased the distribution by 10%. Based on Vanguard's closing unit price on July 20, 2010 of $24.12 and an annualized distribution of $2.20 per unit, new investors can earn an attractive tax-deferred yield of approximately 9%.

Richard A. Robert, Executive Vice-President and CFO of Vanguard, commented, "We are very pleased to be able to increase the cash distributions to our unitholders as a result of our successful acquisition activity in the first half of 2010. Our ability to increase our quarterly distribution is predicated on growing our Company through acquisitions. With our renewed ability to access the equity capital markets and our recently increased borrowing base on our reserve-based credit facility we are excited about our future prospects for growth."

Vanguard Natural Resources, LLC is a publicly traded limited liability company focused on the acquisition, production and development of natural gas and oil properties. Vanguard's assets consist primarily of producing and non-producing natural gas and oil reserves located in the southern portion of the Appalachian Basin, the Permian Basin, South Texas and Mississippi.

ViewPoint Financial Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: VPFG/VPFGD), July 23, 2010, Plano, TX, the holding company for ViewPoint Bank, announced a quarterly cash dividend of $0.04 per share. The cash dividend is payable on August 19, 2010, to shareholders of record as of the close of business on August 5, 2010.

This $0.04 per share cash dividend represents a 12% increase over the dividend paid by ViewPoint Financial Group in the second quarter, once that $0.05 per share second quarter dividend is adjusted by the 1.40:1 exchange ratio applied to ViewPoint Financial Group shares as part of our conversion and related stock offering completed on July 6, 2010.

Prior to that conversion, ViewPoint MHC, the owner of approximately 57%, or 14,183,182, of the shares of ViewPoint Financial Group, waived its right to receive dividends from ViewPoint Financial Group. This waiver resulted in a total dividend expense in April 2010 of $537,000.

Under its new stock holding company structure, ViewPoint Financial Group, Inc. will pay dividends on a share base of 34,864,800 shares, resulting in a total dividend payout in August 2010 of approximately $1.4 million.
ViewPoint Financial Group, Inc. is the holding company for ViewPoint Bank. ViewPoint Bank operates 23 community bank offices and 16 loan production offices.

Walgreen Co. (NYSE: WAG)(NASDAQ: WAG) July 14, 2010, Deerfield, IL increased its quarterly dividend 27.3 percent to 17.5 cents per share from the previous rate of 13.75 cents per share. The dividend is payable Sept. 11, 2010, to shareholders of record Aug. 19, 2010. The dividend increase raises the annual rate from 55 cents per share to 70 cents per share.

"This increase reinforces our commitment to provide meaningful returns to our shareholders and extends our track record of strong annual dividend growth,” said Walgreens President and CEO Greg Wasson. “We are confident in our growth strategies and our ability to generate strong free cash flow in the future."

Walgreens has paid a dividend in 311 straight quarters (more than 77 years) and has raised its dividend for 35 consecutive years. The company has increased its dividend by a compound annual growth rate of 24.3 percent over the last six years.
Walgreens is the nation's largest drugstore chain with fiscal 2009 sales of $63 billion. The company operates 7,541 drugstores in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Each day, Walgreens provides nearly 6 million customers access to consumer goods and services and pharmacy, health and wellness services and advice in communities across America. Walgreens scope of pharmacy services includes retail, specialty, infusion, medical facility, long-term care and mail service, along with pharmacy benefit solutions and respiratory services. These services improve health outcomes and lower costs for payers including employers, managed care organizations, health systems, pharmacy benefit managers and the public sector.

Walgreens Take Care Health Systems subsidiary is the largest and most comprehensive manager of worksite health centers and in-store convenient care clinics, with more than 700 locations throughout the country.


W and T Offshore, Inc. (NYSE: WTI) August 2, 2010 Houston, TX, announced that its board of directors on August 2, 2010 increased the regular cash quarterly dividend to $0.04 per share from $0.03 per share, payable to the holders of the Corporation's common shares. The dividend will be payable on September 10, 2010, to the shareholders of record on August 20, 2010.

Tracy W. Krohn, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, commented, "We are pleased to be able to increase our quarterly dividend and reward our shareholders for their ongoing support. This action reflects our continued confidence in W&T Offshore's ability to continue to generate strong cash flow."

W and T Offshore is an independent oil and natural gas company focused primarily in the Gulf of Mexico, including exploration in the deepwater and deep shelf regions, where it has developed significant technical expertise. W&T has grown through acquisitions, exploitation and exploration and currently holds working interests in approximately 72 producing fields in federal and state waters. The majority of the Company's daily production is derived from wells it operates. For more information on W&T Offshore, please visit its Web site at

Western Gas Partners, LP (NYSE: WES) July 20, 2010, The Woodlands, TX, announced second-quarter 2010 financial and operating results. Net income available to limited partners for the second quarter of 2010 totaled $22.9 million, or $0.35 per limited partner unit (diluted). The Partnership’s second-quarter Adjusted EBITDA(1) was $38.5 million and distributable cash flow(1) was $35.4 million, resulting in a coverage ratio(1) of 1.45 times or the period.
Total throughput attributable to Western Gas Partners, LP for the second quarter of 2010 averaged 1,364 MMcf/d, essentially flat compared to the prior quarter and approximately 8 percent below the second quarter of 2009. These results include the net throughput attributable to the acquired Chipeta and Granger assets for all periods of comparison.

Capital expenditures attributable to Western Gas Partners, LP totaled approximately $4.0 million during the second quarter of 2010. Of this amount, maintenance capital expenditures were approximately $3.7 million, or 10 percent of Adjusted EBITDA.
“Our operating results for the quarter reflect the continued improvement in our cost structure while maintaining relatively stable throughput year-to-date,” said Western Gas Partners’ President and Chief Executive Officer Don Sinclair. “We are pleased with the contribution of our Granger and Chipeta acquisitions to our portfolio’s distributable cash flow. These systems, which are situated in two key liquids-rich basins in the Rockies, continue to benefit from ongoing drilling activity due to favorable producer economics.”

The Partnership previously declared a quarterly distribution of $0.35 per unit for the second quarter of 2010, payable on August 13, 2010 to unitholders of record at the close of business on July 30, 2010, representing a 3-percent increase over the prior quarter and a 13-percent increase over the second-quarter 2009 distribution of $0.31 per unit. The second-quarter 2010 coverage ratio of 1.45 times is based on the quarterly distribution of $0.35 per unit.

Westfield Financial, Inc. (NASDAQ:WFD) July 21, 2010, Westfield, MA, the holding company for Westfield Bank, reported a net loss of $(386,000) or $(0.01) per diluted share, for the quarter ended June 30, 2010, compared to net income of $1.1 million, or $0.04 per diluted share, for the same period in 2009. For the six months ended June 30, 2010, net income was $1.0 million or $0.03 per diluted share, compared to $2.3 million or $0.08 per diluted share for the same period in 2009.

James C. Hagan, Chief Executive Officer stated, “On July 20, 2010, the board of directors declared a regular cash dividend of $0.06 per share. This represents a 20% increase in our regular quarterly dividend and is payable on August 18, 2010 to all shareholders of record on August 4, 2010.”

Westfield Financial, Inc. is the holding company for Westfield Bank, which is headquartered in Westfield, Massachusetts and operates through 11 banking offices in Agawam, East Longmeadow, Feeding Hills, Holyoke, Southwick, Springfield, West Springfield and Westfield, Massachusetts. The Bank’s deposits are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.


HELP BEXLEY PUBLIC RADIO UPGRADE ITS ANTENNA. SEND YOUR MONEY PROMPTLY. BE GENEROUS.

Bexley Public Radio Foundation broadcasting as
WCRX-LP, 102.1 FM, Local Power Radio
2700 E. Main St., Suite 208
Columbus, OH 43209
Voice (614) 235 2929
Fax (614) 235 3008
Email wcrxlp@yahoo.com
Blog http://agentofcurrency.blogspot.com

Bexley Public Radio Foundation is exempt from federal taxes under IRC Section 501(c)(3). Donations are deductible from federal income taxes for individuals who itemize. Checks may identify the payee as Bexley Public Radio Foundation or WCRX-LP, 102.1 FM.

Design is copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Bexley Public Radio Foundation. Text is copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Laura Franks.