Represents 41st consecutive annual increase
Chicago, IL - W.W. Grainger, Inc. announced today that its board of directors voted to raise the quarterly cash dividend by 21 percent to 80 cents per share payable on June 1, 2012, to shareholders of record on May 14, 2012. Grainger has provided 41 consecutive years of increased dividends, a record that only 3 percent of companies in the S&P 500 can claim.
"We are committed to providing top quartile returns to our investors, and our dividend is an important and consistent part of the equation," said Grainger Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer Jim Ryan. In 2011, Grainger delivered a total shareholder return of 38 percent versus 2 percent for the S&P 500.
