TOKYO -- More big Japanese companies are offering midyear dividends in an effort to keep shareholders on board for the long haul.
More than 20% of 2,177 companies that close their books in March are either boosting or returning to midyear dividends, with 444 increasing the payouts and 26 resuming them. With more upgrades likely, the aggregate figure could surpass the record reached for the April-September period last year.
