Final answer:
To determine the cash dividends paid by a company in the most recent year, specific information about the company is needed. The provided information from Table 17.2 does not offer details about a specific company's cash dividends in the most recent year.
Step-by-step explanation:
In order to determine the cash dividends paid by a company in the most recent year, we need specific information about the company. The provided information from Table 17.2 gives insights into the general trend of dividend payments for companies in the S&P 500 index over the years, but it does not provide information about a specific company's cash dividends in the most recent year.
Therefore, we cannot determine how much a specific company paid in cash dividends in the most recent year based on the given information.