The constant dividend growth model for valuing stocks suggests that value investors
are attracted and retained when firms are able to evidence a long history of stable
dividend payments. However, Fama and French (2001) document that fewer firms are
paying dividends and that strongly negative earnings cause termination of cash
dividend payments. While most of the literature supports a strong relationship between
earnings and dividends, this study will investigate if the relationship between cash flow
and dividends is even stronger.