Some dividend tidbits for you ...

With the financial stocks in turmoil, I thought it would be good to point out just how important the sector is to the broad market (and dividend investors).

The following data is from Howard Silverblatt, an old co-worker at Standard & Poor's:

-- The Financials account for the largest share of dividend payments to the S&P 500 (30.41%), and have the highest tendency to pay and increase.

-- Year-to-date, there have been 60 dividend increases in the Financial sector (93 issues), one decrease (MGT in October from $1.00 to $0.10 - note they still pay) and 1 suspension (MI, that increased in January and is now splitting into two concerns).

-- The yield on the Financials has increased from 2.39% at year end to 3.22% (3.19% if FRE decreases its payment by half).

Is it time to buy some of these beaten-down behemoths? While there could be more pain before this is all over, I do think some of the strongest names are looking attractive.

Intel Ups Dividend

The semiconductors are getting hit on concerns about slowing consumer spending and less demand for electronic gadgets.

However, I think long-term investors can find plenty of nice dividend-paying tech stocks amid this cyclical weakness in the semis.

Just look at what happened today -- Intel (INTC) announced a 13% hike in its dividend. And plenty of other firms from Microchip (MCHP) to Linear Technology (LLTC) are rewarding shareholders with nice payouts.

So take a look at some four-letter ticker symbols for dividends, dude. You might be surprised by what you find!

iStar Financial (SFI) boosts dividend ...

Another Dividend Superstar, iStar Financial, reported earnings yesterday. The market was obviously pleased, sending the shares up almost 10%.

What made me happiest was the fact that iStar bumped up its dividend another 5%. I mean, heck, the shares are already yielding more than 12 darn percent!

Is the company a speculative play? Absolutely, especially given the ongoing credit crunch and the moribund mortgage market. However, this latest earnings call made the gamble a little less risky, in my opinion. Reason: Money is still flowing into the company, and those generous dividends are not only secure but growing.