Kimberly-Clark Corporation said its board of directors has approved a dividend increase of 9.4 percent. This will bring the quarterly dividend to 58 cents per share, up from 53 cents per share in 2007.
The board of directors declared the dividend payable on April 2, 2008, to stockholders of record on March 7, 2008. This is the 36th consecutive year Kimberly-Clark has raised its dividend.
"We remain focused on increasing cash flow and deploying it in shareholder-friendly ways, with a continuing objective to raise the dividend at a high-single to low double-digit rate annually," said Thomas J. Falk, chairman and chief executive officer.
"In terms of dividend payout, this increase continues Kimberly-Clark's top-tier ranking among consumer packaged goods companies."
Kimberly-Clark Corporation