Last Month's 2.8 Billion Pound FTSE Dividend

LONDON -- September was a good month for dividends from FTSE 100 (INDEX: ^FTSE) companies.

Data from S&P Capital IQ indicates no less than 23 members of the blue-chip index went ex-dividend last month to provide nearly a 2.8 billion pound cumulative payout to ordinary investors.

Here are the 23 names and the estimated payments based on each company's "free float" share count:

*Converted from U.S. dollars.

The stats support some optimism for dividend seekers, as well as investors backing the wider FTSE 100 through a tracker.

You see, out of all the names in the table, just Kazahkmys cut its dividend, while only Aviva, G4S, Melrose, and Tullow Oil held their payments. And with market newcomer Evraz introducing a maiden dividend, we're left with a superb 17 of the 23 having lifted their payouts.

Particular highlights from the list include Petrofac, which lifted its payment by 21%, ARM, which raised its dividend by 20%, and Aggreko, which hoisted its handout by 15%. Special dividends also came from Admiral and Hargreaves Lansdown.

Trading at around 5,826, the FTSE 100 currently offers a dividend yield of 3.77%. That income does not look too bad, especially in light of the broader payout performance of the 23 names in the table above.

Certainly the table should please equity-income devotees such as Neil Woodford, whose portfolio of dependable FTSE dividend shares generated a 347% return during the 15 years to 2011. For ideas on where to find today's attractive dividend shares, this exclusive free report about Woodford's winners can be requested right now.

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