A quarter for the quarter: Baton Rouge-based H&E Equipment Services announced this morning that its board of directors has declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.25 per share to its shareholders. The dividend is to be paid on March 9 for stockholders of record as of the close of business on Feb. 24. As of 9 a.m. this morning, shares of H&E Equipment were up $0.56, or 2.5%, to $22.73 on the NASDAQ exchange.
On the index: Albemarle Corporation, the Baton Rouge-based specialty chemical maker, was recently added to Standard and Poor’s High Yield Dividend Aristocrats Index, which is comprised of companies within the S&P Composite 1500 that have consistently raised their dividend payouts for 20 years or more. Albemarle is now one of 95 companies included in this prestigious index. As of 9 a.m this morning, shares of Albemarle were trading for $54.40 on the New York Stock Exchange, up $0.44, or 0.8%.
In the bank: The Louisiana Mineral and Energy Board reports it collected $307,035 in bonus revenue for the state through its February lease sale, which was held Wednesday in Baton Rouge. The board awarded 11 leases covering 1,089 acres, out of 43 nominated tracts covering more than 52,221 acres. The leases were sold in Bossier, Cameron, Jefferson, Lafourche, St. Landry, Tangipahoa and Vermilion parishes. For the fiscal year to date, the monthly lease sales have netted the state $8 million, the board says.
