insane dividends

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Booz Allen Hamilton (BAH: 17.04, +2.16, +14.52%) beat the Street on Wednesday by revealing surging fiscal fourth-quarter earnings, prompting the consulting company to unveil a special cash dividend.

Shares of the McLean, Va.-based company soared about 13% on the bullish report as well as an upbeat outlook and the dividend plans.

Booz Allen said it earned $50.6 million, or 36 cents a share, last quarter, compared with a profit of $18.1 million, or 13 cents a share, a year earlier. Excluding one-time items, it earned 44 cents a share, topping estimates for 41 cents.

The company, which relies on government consulting work for much of its business, said revenue grew by 3.2% to $1.54 billion. Analysts had been calling for revenue of $1.55 billion.

Booz Allen said its operating margin expanded to 6.3% from 5.6%. Its total backlog at the end of the fiscal year stood at $10.8 billion, compared with $10.92 billion the year earlier.

“We continued to grow revenue organically in all of our major government markets -- defense, intelligence, and civil -- and we expanded our commercial and international business this year,” CEO Ralph Shrader said in a statement.

Inspired by the results, Booz Allen announced plans to pay a special cash dividend of $1.50 a share. This dividend is payable on June 29 to shareholders of record as of June 11.

Read more: http://www.foxbusiness.com/industries/2012/05/30/booz-allen-top-views-in-q4-reveals-special-dividend/#ixzz1wMgGOLDf