NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - Apr 26, 2012) - With the low interest rates provided by the banks, investors have been turning to dividend-paying stocks as a source of investment income. Dividend investing has become increasingly popular among investors, and the resulting demand is driving up stock prices. In 2011, dividend stocks crushed the 2.1% gain for the S&P 500 Index, gaining an average of 8.3%. Five Star Equities examines the outlook for Dividend paying stocks and provides equity research on Aflac Incorporated (NYSE: [ AFL ]) and Leggett & Platt, Inc. (NYSE: [ LEG ]).

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[ www.FiveStarEquities.com/LEG ]

Howard Silverblatt, S&P's senior index analyst, recently stated that the Standard & Poor's 500 Index companies have never paid more dividends than now. In 2012, S&P 500 companies are on pace to pay out a record amount in dividends -- $277 million or about $29.02 per index share.

"The pressure to introduce and increase dividends could get intense," said Joshua Peters, an equity analyst at Morningstar Inc. "Chief executives and corporate boards are going to start noticing that investors are rewarding dividend-paying stocks."

Five Star Equities releases regular market updates on Dividend paying stocks so investors can stay ahead of the crowd and make the best investment decisions to maximize their returns. Take a few minutes to register with us free at [ www.FiveStarEquities.com ] and get exclusive access to our numerous stock reports and industry newsletters.

Aflac traded sharply higher Wednesday after reporting strong earnings beating analyst estimates. Aflac recently declared the second quarter cash dividend. The second quarter dividend of $.33 per share is payable on June 1, 2012, to shareholders of record at the close of business on May 16, 2012.

Leggett & Platt announced a dividend of $.28 per share for the first quarter, a 3.7% increase versus the dividend declared in the first quarter of 2011. The dividend was paid on April 13, 2012 to shareholders of record on March 15, 2012.

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