Moody's (MCO) Investors Enjoy Lucrative 2011

Moody's (NYSE: MCO) keeps giving dividend investors a reason to smile, at least over the last 12 months.

The fun began in December last year when Moody's boosted it's quarter dividend 9.5 percent to 11.5 cents per share. At the time, the dividend had a yield of 1.7 percent.

Moody's boosted its payout again, up 14.3 percent to 16 cents per share, and up 39 percent from the same period one year ago. This dividend yielded 1.9 percent.

What does this tell us? Well, the still-low yield amid the substantial increase means shares have been performing. On December 15th of last year, the stock closed at $26.51, and has risen $7, or 26.4 percent, to $33.51 since.

Those who made the move to Moody's last year -- and are still hanging on -- have a paper pre-tax gain of 28.1 percent. By comparison, the S&P 500 fell about 1.2 percent over the same period.

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