General Motors' Stock Rallies After Results, Plans To Boost Dividend

Shares of General Motors jumped 4.4% in premarket trade Wednesday, after the automaker reported fourth-quarter results that beat expectations, and said it planned to raise its dividend by 20%. Earnings rose to $1.1 billion, or 66 cents a share, from $900 million, or 57 cents a share, in the year earlier period. The latest quarter's results included a loss per share of 53 cents from non-recurring items. Analysts surveyed by FactSet were expecting, on average, earnings per share of 83 cents. Revenue slipped to $39.6 billion from $40.5 billion, but were above analyst forecasts of $38.9 billion. The company said it intends to raise its quaterly dividend to 36 cents a share from 30 cents starting in the second quarter. The stock has gained 10% over the past three months, while the S&P 500 has advanced 1.9%.