W. R. Grace & Co (GRA) will raise its quarterly dividend by 14.3 percent to $0.24 per share in the first quarter of 2018. The new dividend yield is 1.2%.

This dividend is payable on March 22, 2018 to shareholders of record at the close of business on March 1, 2018.

"Grace remains committed to growing our dividend as part of our disciplined capital allocation strategy," said Fred Festa, Grace’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.  "In addition to continuing to increase our dividend, we remain committed to deploying our capital to increase shareholder value. To this end, during 2017 we committed approximately $420 million to acquisitions and over $140 million to capital investments. We also returned over $120 million to shareholders through share repurchases and dividends. We remain confident in our ability to generate strong free cash flow and drive superior performance over the long term."

W.R. Grace & Co. Is a supplier of specialty chemicals and specialty materials. The company produces catalysts used in refining, petrochemical and other chemical manufacturing applications, specialty materials, coatings and sealants and related products used in coatings, consumer, industrial, pharmaceutical, and packaging applications and construction chemicals and building materials.