The coronavirus has prompted companies to accumulate cash. Now they are starting to distribute it.

After having scrambled to accumulate liquidity in the spring, some large American companies which halted their dividend payments are reversing their decision, a sign that their leaders believe that the worst of the crisis is behind them.

Earlier this year, as much of the country’s economy shut down during the first waves of the coronavirus pandemic, companies pulled cash from lines of credit, stopped repurchasing stocks, and moved on. halted dividend payments with uncertainty. The public health problem continues, but many companies – from factories to law firms – have …