The near-real time sources that we track for dividend cut announcements is signaling that something wicked is happening within the U.S. oil and gas industry.
Setting the scene for context, the fourth quarter of 2018 ended with an ominous undertone in an otherwise positive year for dividend-paying stocks in the United States:
By far and away, the oil and gas industry saw the greatest amount of distress during the fourth quarter of 2018, accounting for 63% of our sample and coinciding with a significant decline in oil prices during the quarter as global demand diminished.