Emerson 2008 Annual Report Download - page 5

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cash ow continues to be a key priority of
this management team, which allows us to
invest for future growth and return cash back
to shareholders. In 2008, Emerson returned
more than 60 percent of operating cash ow to
shareholders – $940 million in dividends and
$1.1 billion in stock repurchases. 2008 was
the 52nd consecutive year we increased our
dividend, and the board approved a 10 percent
increase in the quarterly dividend to $0.33 per
share for the December 2008 dividend payment.
We face tough economic challenges ahead,
including a stronger U.S. dollar and greater
uncertainty across global markets. Emerson is
positioned well to deal with these challenges.
The company is in good businesses, has a
strong balance sheet and remains conservative
in our nancial structure. We constantly
monitor all of our businesses very carefully
and make adjustments as needed in a dynamic
environment. That said, we also expect to
continue driving future growth with strategic
technology and new product investments as the
company has done consistently and successfully
in the past.
A Powerful Force for Innovation [ 03 ]
Our operating team
executed well across the
board, identifying and
solving important problems
for customers, creating
rewarding opportunities
for employees and
delivering strong results
for shareholders.
In 2008,of sales came
from outside the United States.
came from emerging markets.