Qwest mulling a dividend

Qwest Communications International is rare among telephone companies in that it hasn't offered a dividend to shareholders in more than six years. Of course, the last six years haven't exactly been smooth sailing for Qwest. Here's a quick look at what's happened in that time: revenue shortfalls, an insider trading scandal, executive departures, the emergence of a new CEO and a gradual turnaround, questions about an acquisition, questions about potential strategic and service gaps, a major stock buy-back program, and, finally, the retirement of another CEO, and the hiring of a new one.

A dividend could help the telco's recently flagging stock price and boost investor confidence, but some company watchers question whether Qwest is healthy enough yet for the pay-out, and whether new CEO Edward Mueller sees a dividend as a priority.

For more:
- See this Dow Jones wire story at CNN Money

Related articles:
- Talk of a Qwest dividend began early last month