Warning: To get the new 15% rate, you must hold a stock for 61 of the 120 days surrounding the date it goes ex-dividend: that is, starts trading without an upcoming dividend attached.
That General Mills managed such robust dividend payouts without putting upward pressure on the dividend payout ratio (the percentage of profits the dividend represents) and the cash dividend payout ratio (the proportion of free cash flow that goes to dividend payouts) is good evidence that its dividend gravy train is in great shape.
