Southwest increases its quarterly dividend

  Southwest Airlines has significantly increased its quarterly dividend to $.04 per share from $.01 per share.  Annualized, this amounts to over $100 million.  The increase in the quarterly dividend will begin with the 147th consecutive quarterly dividend declared today to Shareholders of record at the close of business on June 5, 2013 on all shares then issued and outstanding.  The dividend will be paid on June 26, 2013.  The Board also increased the Company’s existing $1 billion share repurchase authorization to $1.5 billion.  Of the remaining share repurchase authorization, an initial $250 million of Southwest common stock will be repurchased