SUNDAY WSJ SAYS M&I HALTS DIVIDEND IN ERRONEOUS STORY

According to a chart in the print edition of the Sunday Wall Street Journal, as found in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on December 30th, 2007, M&I Corporation was listed in as being among a number of companies that have cut back or eliminated their dividends over the past year.
The article, entitled, "Dividends, Buybacks Feel the Squeeze" by Scott Patterson, notes that a number of ostensibly blue chip companies have been lessening their payouts due to the aftereffects of the subprime mortgage mess.
However, Marshall & Ilsley is not among them. It paid its regular $.31 quarterly dividend on December 14th, 2007. (See for yourself.)
As Milwaukeeworld reported to you on Tuesday, April 24th, 2007, the $1.24 dividend declared by the M&I board on that day in fact represents a 14.8% increase in the payout.
The Wall Street Journal's error was doubtless due to carlessness. As pointed out in the milwaukeeworld posting, M&I was in the process at the time of divesting itself of Metavante Technologies, Inc., its data subsidiary. The M&I board announced at that time that while the bank would be expected to continue paying dividends, Metavante would not be expected to pay dividends. Metavante [MV] began trading on November 5th, 2007.
So, it's O.K. mother: you have nothing to worry about. And shame on you Wall Street Journal for throwing Milwaukee's widows and orphans into such a panic!
--Michael Horne