Publications
Publications
- October 2003 (Revised February 2004)
- HBS Case Collection
Dividend Policy at Linear Technology
By: Malcolm P. Baker and Alison Berkley Wagonfeld
Abstract
In 1992, Linear Technology, a designer and manufacturer of analog semiconductors, initiated a dividend. The firm increased its dividend by approximately $0.01 per share each year thereafter. In fiscal year 2002, Linear experienced its first significant drop in sales since its 1986 initial public offering. Sales dropped by 47%, and profits fell by 54%. In the spring of 2003, CFO Paul Coghlan is deciding whether to recommend yet another increase in dividends to lift Linear's payout ratio to 33.1%, high by the standards of technology firms.
Keywords
Financial Strategy; Investment Return; Financial Condition; Taxation; Initial Public Offering; Financial Management; Semiconductor Industry
Citation
Baker, Malcolm P., and Alison Berkley Wagonfeld. "Dividend Policy at Linear Technology." Harvard Business School Case 204-066, October 2003. (Revised February 2004.)
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