NEW YORK, Jan. 27, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The Board of Directors of McGraw Hill Financial (NYSE: MHFI) today approved a 9% increase in the regular quarterly cash dividend on the Company's common stock. 

"Our continued profitable growth, strong balance sheet and the confidence we have in our company allow us to increase our dividend while maintaining a strong capital position. This action demonstrates our commitment to creating value for our investors," said Douglas L. Peterson, President and CEO of McGraw Hill Financial.

The Company has paid a dividend each year since 1937 and is one of fewer than 25 companies in the S&P 500 that has increased its dividend annually for at least the last 43 years.

The quarterly dividend will increase from $0.33 to $0.36 per share. The dividend will be payable on March 10, 2016, to shareholders of record on February 25, 2016.  The new annualized dividend rate of $1.44 per share represents an average compound annual dividend growth rate of 9.5% since 1974.    

About McGraw Hill Financial:
McGraw Hill Financial is a leading financial intelligence Company providing the global capital and commodity markets with independent benchmarks, credit ratings, portfolio and enterprise risk solutions, and analytics. The Company's iconic brands include Standard & Poor's Ratings Services, S&P Capital IQ and SNL, S&P Dow Jones Indices, Platts, CRISIL, and J.D. Power. The Company has approximately 20,000 employees in 31 countries. Additional information is available at www.mhfi.com.

Investor Relations: http://investor.mhfi.com

Media Relations Contact:
Jason Feuchtwanger
Director, Corporate Media Relations
(212) 438-1247 (office)
(347) 419-4169 (cell)
jason.feuchtwanger@mhfi.com

Investor Relations Contact:
Chip Merritt 
Vice President, Investor Relations 
(212) 438-4321 
chip.merritt@mhfi.com

SOURCE McGraw Hill Financial