Utilities such as Southern Co., cash-rich companies like Microsoft Corp. and retailers from Wal-Mart Stores Inc. to Brookstone Inc. may benefit the most from President George W. Bush's plan for $670 billion in tax cuts.
The proposal would repeal the tax shareholders pay on dividends, making utilities and other companies that already offer large payouts more attractive to investors. Companies that have enough money to pay fat dividends, such as Microsoft and Oracle Corp., may also gain, analysts said.
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