Dividends: Wall Street's Battered Status Symbol

Cut dividends? For Coca-Cola, that’s almost unthinkable. Investors would probably see a dividend cut as a sign of trouble — a clear indication that the company is short on cash. So it’s not surprising that despite a crimp in its cash flow in recent years, Coke hasn’t wavered on its dividend. Many other companies would love to say the same, but they can’t.