It might yield big benefits for commercial airlines and retail chains, which typically lease a large fraction of their assets, and for steel- and automakers that have large unionized workforces, which will give them greater leverage to renegotiate collective bargaining agreements.

FORBES: How Chapter 11 Saved the US Economy

The dividend yield on the index (dividends divided by the stock price) is just 2.1% a fraction of historic averages, and barely enough to keep pace with current, subdued inflation.

WSJ: Is This the Best Time for Investors? Don't Bet On It.