October 2019 presents a mixed picture for the relative health of dividend-paying companies in the U.S. stock market. The good news is that the number of dividend cuts, a measure of the relative level of distress in the U.S. economy, dropped below the level that suggests the U.S. economy is experiencing recessionary conditions. The bad news is that the number of dividend increases recorded during the month was at its lowest level for any October since 2011, where this measure indicates that growth in the U.S. economy is slowing down.
The following chart shows the