Intel's board approved a 15 per cent increase in its quarterly dividend to 18 cents a share, the company said today, sending shares up 1.3 per cent just before the market opening.
The chip company's chief executive Paul Otellini said in a statement that Intel's strong cash flow and its confidence in its business going forward gave it the ability to return more cash to shareholders.
Intel has paid out about $20 billion in dividends since it started paying them in 1992, the company said. This includes $2.6 billion in dividend payments made so far this year.
Its shares rose to $21.49 after closing at $21.21 in the regular Nasdaq session.
Reuters