Metal firms declaring early dividends to avoid tax raise

摘要

A steel wire manufacturer and a steel processor have each moved up dividend payments, part of a trend among publicly held companies to allow shareholders to avoid a possible tax increase next year, according to an equities research firm. The board of directors of steel processor, distributor and diversified manufacturer Worthington Industries Inc. has declared an accelerated third- and fourth-quarter cash dividend totaling 26 cents per common share.