Coca-Cola (KO) will raise its quarterly dividend by 5.4 percent to $0.39 per share in the first quarter of 2018. This marks the 56th consecutive year of dividend increases for Dividend Aristocrat KO.

The quarterly dividend will be raised to $0.39 per share. This is equivalent to an annual dividend of $1.56 per share, up from $1.48 per share in 2017. The first quarter dividend is payable April 2, 2018, to shareowners of record as of March 15, 2018.

The dividend increase reflects the board’s confidence in the company’s long-term cash flow. The Company returned $6.3 billion in dividends to shareowners in 2017, bringing to $41.5 billion the total amount given back to shareowners through dividends since Jan. 1, 2010.

The Coca-Cola Company is the world's largest beverage company, with more than 500 sparkling and still brands and more than 3,800 beverage choices. Its brands include Diet Coke, Coca-Cola Zero, Fanta, Sprite, Dasani, vitaminwater, Powerade, Minute Maid, Simply, Del Valle, Georgia and Gold Peak.