A. O. Smith Corporation Increases Quarterly Dividend

The A. O. Smith Corporation AOS Board of Directors has approved an eight percent increase in the company's quarterly cash dividend to a rate of $.21 per share. The dividend is payable on Aug. 16 to shareholders of record July 30. "The stability provided by our 136 years in business, as well as our record operating performance and cash flow generation in 2009, give us the confidence to increase our dividend in what continues to be a fragile economic recovery," Paul W. Jones, A. O. Smith's chairman and chief executive officer, commented.