The board of directors of Ameren today declared a quarterly cash dividend on its common stock of 55 cents per share, a 6.8% increase from the prior quarterly cash dividend of 51.5 cents per share, resulting in an annualized equivalent dividend rate of $2.20 per share. The previous annualized equivalent dividend rate was $2.06 per share. "We are pleased to announce this increase to our first quarter dividend, which marks the eighth consecutive year of dividend growth," said Warner L. Baxter, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Ameren Corporation. "This increase, coupled with the dividend increase of 4% in October 2020, reflects confidence by the Ameren Board of Directors in the outlook for our business and management's ability to execute its strategy for the long-term benefit of its customers and shareholders. Ameren expects future dividend growth to be in line with its long-term earnings-per-share growth expectations and within a payout ratio of 55% to 70%. In addition to earnings growth considerations, future dividend decisions will be driven by cash flow, investment requirements and other business conditions." The common share dividend is payable March 31, 2021 to shareholders of record at the close of business on March 10, 2021.
The Board of Directors of GE today declared a $0.01 per share dividend on the outstanding common stock of the Company. The dividend is payable April 26, 2021 to shareholders of record at the close of business on March 8, 2021. The ex-dividend date is March 5, 2021.
Baxter International, a leading global medical products company, today announced that its Board of Directors has declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.245 per share of common stock. The dividend is payable on April 1, 2021, to shareholders of record as of February 26, 2021. The indicated annual dividend rate is $0.98 per share of common stock.
Genuine Parts announced today a 3% increase in the regular quarterly cash dividend for 2021. The Board of Directors of the Company, at its February 15, 2021 Board meeting, increased the cash dividend payable to an annual rate of $3.26 per share compared with the previous dividend of $3.16 per share. The quarterly cash dividend of eighty-one and one-half cents per share is payable April 1, 2021 to shareholders of record March 5, 2021. GPC has paid a cash dividend every year since going public in 1948, and 2021 marks the 65th consecutive year of increased dividends paid to shareholders.
The Board of Directors of Illinois Tool Works declared a dividend on the company's common stock of $1.14 per share for the first quarter of 2021. The dividend equates to $4.56 per share on a full-year basis. The dividend will be paid on Wednesday, April 14, 2021 to shareholders of record as of March 31, 2021.
For MarketNewsVideo.com, I'm Sayoko Murase.