Mattel Increases Dividend

Mattel has lifted its dividend by 16%. The company is to pay $0.36 per share of its common stock on March 8 to stockholders of record as of Feb. 22. Last year in all four quarters, the company disbursed $0.31 per share.

The move was announced concurrently with the company's Q4 and 2012 results. Those showed an year-on-year increase in sales and a decline in GAAP earnings per share. Both came in lower than average analyst estimates.

However, the dividend announcement also closely follows a federal appeals court decision to toss more than half of a $310 million verdict against the company. This was the latest development in Mattel's long-running dispute with MGA Entertainment over the intellectual property of the Bratz line of dolls.

The article Mattel Increases Dividend originally appeared on Fool.com.

Fool contributor Eric Volkman has no position in Mattel. The Motley Fool recommends Mattel. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools don't all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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