NORTH CHICAGO, Ill., Feb. 15, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The board of directors of AbbVie ( ABBV) increased the company's quarterly cash dividend by 35 percent from $0.71 per share to $0.96 per share and authorized a new $10 billion stock repurchase program.
The cash dividend is payable May 15, 2018 to stockholders of record at the close of business on April 13, 2018.
Since the company's inception in 2013, AbbVie has increased its dividend by 140 percent. AbbVie is a member of the S&P Dividend Aristocrats Index, which tracks companies that have annually increased their dividend for at least 25 consecutive years.
The stock repurchase program supersedes any existing repurchase authorizations. Purchases may be made from time to time in management's discretion. The stock repurchase authorization permits shares to be repurchased in open market or private transactions, has no time limit and may be discontinued at any time.