Wal-Mart increases dividend to shareholders

This week, the Board of Directors of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. approved an 8% increase in the annual dividend paid to shareholders, increasing it from $0.88 per share to $0.95 per share.  Based on this approved increase, in fiscal year 2009, the company plans to return $3.6 billion dollars to it’s shareholders.  Wal-Mart has increased it’s dividend payout every year since its first dividend in 1974 of $0.05 per share.