Barclays: Lower dividend growth rates ahead as Companies hit debt limits

Lower dividend growth rates aheads? The good times are coming to an end for dividend investors; that’s what Barclays believes anyway. Equity investors have had it good over the past seven years. According to a report out today from Barclays’ US equity strategy analysts Jonathan Glionna and Eric Slover, CFA, since 2009 total payouts to shareholders, which includes dividends and buybacks, have increased by 20% per year for the S&P 500. After this growth, the duo is estimating that total payouts for the S&P 500 will reach $1 trillion for the first time during 2016. This figure will include approximately…