HOUSTON, Nov. 9, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- SYSCO Corporation (NYSE:SYY) today announced at its annual shareholder meeting that the Board of Directors has approved a 15.8 percent increase in the quarterly cash dividend to $0.22 per share from the current $0.19 per share. The new dividend is payable on January 25, 2008, to common shareholders of record at the close of business on January 4, 2008.
"We have increased our dividend every year since SYSCO's public offering in 1970," said Richard J. Schnieders, SYSCO's chairman and chief executive officer. "In total, we have returned more than $3 billion to shareholders in the form of dividends."
SYSCO is the global leader in selling, marketing and distributing food products to restaurants, healthcare and educational facilities, lodging establishments and other customers that prepare meals away from home. Its family of products also includes equipment and supplies for the foodservice and hospitality industries. For the fiscal year 2007, the company generated over $35 billion in sales. For more information about SYSCO visit www.sysco.com.
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