Our dividend and distribution policy is to pay out substantially all net investment income and realized capital gains. The amount of net investment income and capital gains may vary significantly from year to year.
It has been our policy to make two payments to holders of Common Stock each year. A cash payment is generally made at mid-year, and a distribution consisting primarily of realized capital gains is generally paid at year-end. Stockholders are generally given the option of receiving the year-end distribution either in additional share of stock or in cash, at their election. We have paid dividends every year since 1955.
The chart below summarizes dividends and distributions since 1990.