GE宣布提高5%季度分红
GE （NYSE：GE）周五宣布提高季度分红5%至0.23美元/股，股权登记日为12月22日，股利将于2015年1月26日支付。
但是GE股票当天仍收跌近1%，收于25.17美元。分析师此前已作出警示，认为GE将因最近在石油和天然气行业的投资面临油价下跌的压力，而原油价格周五创出新低。
“我们很高兴GE在五年内第七次季度分红，”GE首席执行官Jeff Immelt在声明中说道：“在持续投资于长期增长业务的同时，回报给股东现金依然是公司最主要的任务。公司运营前景良好，增长股利发放的决定也反映了公司对资本配置的均衡考虑。
据彭博社报道，在五月份一次行业会议上，Jeff Immelt也提到了GE的股利会与利润保持同步增长。
2009年年初，GE发放了0.31美元/股的季度股利，但随后因金融危机而将季度股利削减到0.1美元/股。
由于金融业务在金融危机期间给GE制造了很多麻烦，GE已经将金融业务从其核心业务中剔除。GE剥离了其自有品牌的信用卡机构Synchrony Financial，并正在出售其家电业务部门。
General Electric Raises Quarterly Dividend
General Electric raised its quarterly dividend Friday after CEO Jeff Immelt said that the conglomerate's dividend would go up as earnings rise.
General Electric (NYSE:GE) raised its payout 5% to 23 cents per share, payable Jan. 26, 2015, to shareowners of record at the close of business on Dec. 22. The ex-dividend date is Dec. 18.
Nevertheless, shares fell nearly 1% to 25.17 on the stock market today. Analysts have warned that the stock will be under pressure as GE's recent moves in the oil and gas industry now leave it vulnerable to falling crude prices, which hit fresh lows Friday.
"We are pleased to increase GE's quarterly dividend for the seventh time in five years," said Immelt in a statement. "Returning cash to shareowners remains our top priority while we continue to invest in long-term growth. Alongside our strong operational outlook, today's announcement reflects our balanced and disciplined approach to capital allocation."
At an industry conference in May, Immelt said that GE would "continue to grow the dividend aligned with earnings," according to Bloomberg.
In early 2009, the company was paying a 31-cent quarterly dividend but cut it back to 10 cents due to the financial crisis.
GE has been narrowing its focus to its industrial core and away from the financial sector, which got the company in trouble during the crisis.
GE has spun off its private-label credit card unit Synchrony Financial (NYSE:SYF) and is shedding its household appliance division.
