Even if profits had fallen, dividends either went up or remained at last year's levels.
Forsyth Barr broker Haley Van Leeuwen said that overall, for the current reporting season, she expected a fall in normalised earnings per share (EPS) growth, coinciding with an expected increase in dividends.
"What this indicates is that while companies are experiencing a decline in earnings, they still feel confident enough to maintain or increase dividends at current levels."
That could be the result of companies keeping their businesses at status quo rather than reinvesting profit, due to lack of expansion opportunities, or opting to maintain current payout ratios.
An expected continuation of high dividend yields across the NZX was positive for investors who relied on dividend income in the current low interest rate environment, Mrs Van Leeuwen said.
Craigs Investment Partners broker Chris Timms said one of the things allowing companies to continue to pay good dividends was their ability to reduce the level of debt.
"Even with a small increase in profit, debt levels are down and they don't have to keep as much money back."
Most companies had a payout ratio for their dividend.
Skellerup had a ratio of paying out between 40% and 60% of the reported profit in dividends.
Last week, the company paid out at the top end of the range, partly because of its reduced debt, he said.
Lower levels of capital expenditure and relying on organic growth, rather than acquisitions, also helped companies continue with dividend payouts.
In some cases, investors had also benefited from a rising share price.
While the dividend had been maintained at previous levels, often the share price had appreciated sharply, Mr Timms said.
Another busy week of reporting starts today with Chorus, state-owned Genesis Energy and Hellaby Holdings due to release their June financial reports.
Tomorrow, Mighty River Power, the first of the state-owned enterprises earmarked for partial sale, will release its financial report.
Normally, that would signal the launch of the company's pre-listing prospectus.
However, on Friday, the Waitangi Tribunal said the Government should halt its privatisation policy while it changed the constitutions of its electricity companies to allow Maori input into how they were run.
That could delay the listing of Mighty River Power, although the Government had earlier indicated it was likely to proceed - despite the expected calls to stop from the Opposition parties.
Also tomorrow, Heartland New Zealand will report its financial results. Heartland's main focus recently has been on trying to secure its banking licence.
Later in the week, Auckland International Airport and Air New Zealand report but the interest there will be on forecasts for international tourists visiting this country.
The British stock market focuses this week on a smattering of company results in holiday-shortened trade, and will also track the latest twists and turns in the euro-zone crisis saga.
London's benchmark FTSE 100 index of leading share prices finished at 5776 points on Friday, down 1.30% from a week earlier.
The market will remain shut today due to a public holiday.
Investors were expected to be on tenterhooks over the long-running debt and growth crisis that has plagued the euro zone.
EU president Herman Van Rompuy will travel to Madrid for talks with Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy.
The meeting comes as the EU emerges from a summer hiatus and steps up moves to tackle the crisis.
