SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                    FORM 8-K


                       Pursuant to Section 13 or 15 (d) of
                       The Securities Exchange Act of 1934

         Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported) March 30, 2001



                         THE BEAR STEARNS COMPANIES INC.
              Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter




       DELAWARE                   File No. 1-8989           13-3286161
       (State or other           (Commission File          (IRS Employer
       jurisdiction of            Number)                   Identification
      incorporation)                                        Number)


                    245 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10167
               (Address of principal executive offices) (zip code)


          Registrant's telephone number, including area code:(212)  272-2000
                                                             ---------------

                                 Not Applicable
          (former name or former address, if changed since last report)





Item 5. Other Events

Filed  herewith is a copy of The Bear Stearns  Companies  Inc.  (the  "Company")
Press  Release,  dated March 30, 2001,  announcing  its regular  quarterly  cash
dividend on its outstanding shares of common stock.

Item 7. Financial Statements, Pro Forma Financial Information and Exhibits

                  (a)   Financial Statements of business acquired:

                           Not applicable.

                  (b)   Pro Forma financial information:

                           Not applicable.

                  (c)   Exhibit:

                          (99) Press Release, dated March 30, 2001.






                                    Signature



Pursuant  to the  requirements  of the  Securities  Exchange  Act of  1934,  the
registrant  has duly  caused  this  report  to be  signed  on its  behalf by the
undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

                                            THE BEAR STEARNS COMPANIES INC.



                                            By:   /s/ Marshall J Levinson
                                                  Marshall J Levinson
                                                  Controller
                                                 (Principal Accounting Officer)

Dated:   April 3, 2001







                         THE BEAR STEARNS COMPANIES INC.

                                    FORM 8-K

                                 CURRENT REPORT


                                  EXHIBIT INDEX


Exhibit No.                         Description

(99)                Press Release, dated March 30, 2001






For Immediate Release


Contact: Elizabeth Ventura (212) 272-9251
         Rebecca Haas      (212) 272-8188


                         THE BEAR STEARNS COMPANIES INC.
                       DECLARES COMMON STOCK CASH DIVIDEND

NEW YORK -March 30,  2001- The Bear Stearns  Companies  Inc.  (NYSE:  BSC) today
announced  its regular  quarterly  cash  dividend on its  outstanding  shares of
common stock.

         The Board of Directors declared a regular quarterly cash dividend of 15
cents per share on the  outstanding  shares of common  stock,  payable April 30,
2001 to stockholders of record on April 16, 2001.

         Founded in 1923, The Bear Stearns  Companies Inc. is the parent company
of Bear,  Stearns  & Co.  Inc.,  a  leading  worldwide  investment  banking  and
securities  trading  and  brokerage  firm  serving  corporations,   governments,
institutions  and individuals  worldwide.  With  approximately  $25.8 billion in
total capital, the company's business includes corporate finance and mergers and
acquisitions,  public finance, institutional equities and fixed income sales and
trading,  private  client  services,  foreign  exchange  and  futures  sales and
trading,  equity and fixed income  research,  derivatives,  asset management and
custody services. Through Bear, Stearns Securities Corp., it offers prime broker
and broker dealer services,  including securities lending.  Headquartered in New
York City,  the company had  approximately  11,300  employees as of February 23,
2001, located in domestic offices in Atlanta,  Boston, Chicago,  Dallas, Denver,
Los  Angeles,  San  Francisco  and San Juan;  and an  international  presence in
Beijing,  Buenos Aires,  Dublin,  Hong Kong, London,  Lugano, Sao Paulo,  Seoul,
Shanghai,  Singapore and Tokyo. For additional  information  about Bear Stearns,
please visit our Web site at http://www.bearstearns.com.