Dividends from (RELV) (PMD) (QCRH) (WEN) (AXS) Declared

Reliv International Inc (NASDAQ:RELV), Psychemedics Corp (NASDAQ:PMD), QCR Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:QCRH), Wendy's/Arby's Group, Inc. (NYSE:WEN) and Axis Capital Holdings Ltd (NYSE:AXS) declare dividends.

The Board of Directors of Reliv International Inc (RELV), declared a quarterly common stock dividend of $0.03 a share payable 5/26/11 to shareholders of record at the close of business on 5/16/11.

The Board of Directors of Psychemedics Corp (PMD) declared a cash dividend of $0.12 a share on the company's common stock payable on 5/27/11 to Stockholders of record on 5/16/11.

The Board of Directors of QCR Holdings Inc. (QCRH) declared a regular cash dividend of $0.04 a common share. The dividend will be payable on 7/7/11 to common stockholders of record at the close of business on 6/23/11.

The Board of Directors of Wendy's/Arby's Group, Inc. (WEN) declared a regular cash dividend of $0.02 per common share. The dividend will be payable on 6/15/11 to common stockholders of record at the close of business on 6/1/11.

The Board of Directors of Axis Capital Holdings Ltd (AXS) declared a regular cash dividend of $0.23 per common share. The dividend will be payable on 7/15/11 to common stockholders of record at the close of business on 6/30/11.

Berkshire (BRK-A), (AIG), (CB), (XL),(RE), (PRU) Could Get Slammed from Japan Quake

The insurance industry has been especially hit hard and expected to have the most exposure overall to the 8.9 quake in Japan, which is the strongest in over a century.

Companies like Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE:BRK-A), Prudential (NYSE:PRU), American International Group (NYSE:AIG), Chubb Group (NYSE:CB), XL Group plc (NYSE:XL) and Everest Re Group Ltd. (NYSE:RE) are among those that could be negatively impacted over time, as far as those trading in the United States.

Claims from the disaster are expected to reach into the tens of billions.

Other secondary effects in physical Japan are for companies like Toyota Motor Corp. (NYSE:TM), Sony Corporation (NYSE:SNE) and Honda Motor (NYSE:HMC), which have had to close plants.

Reinsurers like RenaissanceRe (NYSE:RNR) and Axis Capital (NYSE:AXS) are still recovering from the New Zealand earthquake in February.

Alterra Capital (Nasdaq:ALTE), Aspen Insurance (NYSE:AHL), Allied World (NYSE:AWH), AXIS (NYSE:AXS), Employers (NYSE:EIG), Platinum Underwriters (NYSE:PTP) All Downgraded by Macquarie

The insurance industry has been getting pounded by analysts, with a majority of them getting downgraded, like Alterra Capital (Nasdaq:ALTE), Aspen Insurance (NYSE:AHL), Allied World (NYSE:AWH), AXIS (NYSE:AXS), Employers (NYSE:EIG) and Platinum Underwriters (NYSE:PTP).

There have been some exceptions, for example, with Macquarie, they did upgrade Travelers Companies (NYSE:TRV) and CNA Financial (NYSE:CNA), both from "Neutral" to "Outperform."

All of those downgraded above were lowered from "Outperform" to "Neutral."

Alterra Capital (ALTE) closed Friday at $21.77, down $0.13, or 0.58 percent. Aspen Insurance Holdings (AHL) closed at $29.92, gaining $0.80, or 2.75 percent. Allied World Assurance (AWH) closed at $59.50, losing $1.16, or 1.91 percent. AXIS Capital (AXS) ended Friday's session at $35.06, falling $0.10, or 0.28 percent.
Employers Holdings (EIG) closed at $16.62, down $0.41, or 2.41 percent. Platinum Underwriters Holdings (PTP) closed at $44.71, falling $44.71, down $0.78, or 1.71 percent.

Bank of America (NYSE:BAC), Comerica (NYSE:CMA), TD (NYSE:TD), Prudential (NYSE:PRU), Axis Capital (NYSE:AXS) Top Banks, Insurers of Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS)

Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) said they see the banking and the insurance industry being the big winners for 2011, with their top names being Bank of America (NYSE:BAC), Comerica (NYSE:CMA), TD (NYSE:TD), Prudential (NYSE:PRU) and Axis Capital (NYSE:AXS).

Their large cap favorite picks are Bank of America and Toronto Dominion and Comerica, with top insurers being Axis Capital, a top insurer in P&C, and Prudential.

Morgan Stanley said they believe property and casualty insurers should get the biggest increase in the current underwriting cycle.

For the bankers, the reasoning is the growing understanding surrounding the regulations imposed on the industry, as well as low valuations. An assumed improving economy and growing capital deployment were other reasons behind the favorable outlook on the sectors.