Thermo Fisher Scientific Initiates Dividend
Thermo Fisher Scientific has announced that its board of directors has approved the initiation of a quarterly cash dividend to its shareholders — the first in the company’s history. The initial quarterly cash dividend of $0.13 per share will be paid on April 16, 2012, to shareholders of record, as of the close of business on March 15. Future declarations of dividends are subject to board approval and may be adjusted as business needs or market conditions change.
“Effective capital deployment is an important part of our strategy for creating shareholder value,” said Marc N. Casper, president and chief executive officer of Thermo Fisher Scientific. “We have a great acquisition track record, and will continue to pursue opportunities that generate long-term growth. We also return a significant amount of capital to our shareholders through share buybacks. The decision by our board to incorporate a dividend into our capital deployment strategy is testament to our strong financial performance, consistent cash flow generation and excellent growth opportunities.”
About Thermo Fisher Scientific
Thermo Fisher Scientific’s mission is to enable customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. With revenues of $12 billion, the company has approximately 39,000 employees and serves customers within pharmaceutical and biotech companies, hospitals and clinical diagnostic labs, universities, research institutions and government agencies, as well as in environmental and process control industries. Three brands, Thermo Scientific, Fisher Scientific and Unity Lab Services, offer a unique combination of technologies designed to help customers solve complex analytical challenges, improve patient diagnostics and increase laboratory productivity.