"Tech Giants Embrace Dividends: Meta, Alphabet, Amazon, and More Set to Pay Out in 2024"

Goldman Sachs analysts predict that Alphabet Inc. and Amazon.com Inc. are likely to follow Meta Platforms Inc.'s lead and introduce their first-ever dividends in 2024. The interest in dividend-paying stocks has increased since Meta's announcement, prompting Goldman to raise its forecast for the S&P 500's dividend-per-share payout. Companies with stable cash flows and large existing buyback programs are seen as potential candidates for introducing dividends, signaling confidence about future earnings and attracting income-oriented investors. As of the start of 2024, 56 companies in the S&P 500 have raised their dividends, with only Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. cutting its dividend in order to allocate more funds to business growth.