Dana Announces 241st Consecutive Dividend Following Record Sales and Profits in 1997
9 February 1998
Dana Announces 241st Consecutive Dividend Following Record Sales and Profits in 1997TOLEDO, Ohio, Feb. 9 -- Dana Corporation's Board of Directors today approved a quarterly dividend of $0.27 per share, marking 241 consecutive quarterly dividends without a missed or reduced payment. The dividend is payable March 13 to shareholders of record Feb. 27. For the first time in its 94-year history, Dana reported annual sales in excess of $8 billion, as 1997 sales increased 8 percent to $8.3 billion. Profits rose to $369 million, a 21-percent increase over 1996, and earnings per share totaled $3.54, an 18-percent increase compared to the previous year. The past year was marked by a number of strategic transactions, including the acquisition of businesses totaling $1.3 billion in 1997 sales, as well as the divestiture of business with $900 million in annual sales. Buoyed by these strategic moves, the value of Dana Common Stock increased 46 percent over the course of 1997. Dana also evolved its organizational structure in 1997, establishing six Strategic Business Units: automotive components, heavy truck components, off- highway components, engine components, industrial components, and leasing services. These units are better aligned with Dana's global markets to provide customers with highly-integrated global resources and increased speed to market. Dana Corporation is a global leader in the engineering, manufacture, and distribution of products and services for the automotive, engine, heavy truck, off-highway, industrial, and leasing markets. Founded in 1904 and based in Toledo, Ohio, Dana operates facilities in 30 countries and employs more than 50,000 people. The Internet address for Dana's home page is http://www.dana.com. SOURCE Dana Corporation