Dividend Aristocrat Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) will raise its quarterly dividend by 10 percent to $0.44 per share in 2018. This follows last year's 6.7 percent dividend hike by WBA.

The increased dividend is payable 12 September 2018 to stockholders of record as of 20 August 2018, and raises the annual rate from $1.60 per share to $1.76 per share. This marks the 43(rd) consecutive year that Walgreens Boots Alliance and its predecessor company, Walgreen Co., have raised the dividend.

Executive Vice President and Global Chief Financial Officer James Kehoe said, “Our new $10 billion share repurchase program demonstrates our commitment to return cash to stockholders in the form of dividends and share repurchases over the long term.”

Walgreens Boots Alliance is a global, pharmacy-led health and wellbeing enterprise. The company is the largest retail pharmacy, health and daily living destination across the U.S. and Europe. Walgreens is a global leader in pharmacy-led, health and wellbeing retail and one of the largest global pharmaceutical wholesale and distribution networks, with its distribution centers delivering to pharmacies, doctors, health centers and hospitalsIn addition, Walgreens is one of the world’s largest purchasers of prescription drugs and many other health and wellbeing products. The company’s portfolio of retail and business brands includes Walgreens, Duane Reade, Boots and Alliance Healthcare, as well as increasingly global health and beauty product brands, such as No7, Soap & Glory, Liz Earle, Sleek MakeUP and Botanics.