Good News for Ford Shareholders

It’s a good time to be a Ford (NYSE:F) shareholder. On Thursday, the company announced that it will be doubling its dividend in the first quarter of 2013, from $0.05 to $0.10 per share, with the intention of increasing the dividend further as the company grows.

Then, just in case anyone had any doubts that things have turned around in the wake of the financial crisis for America’s second-largest car maker, the company announced that it will be hiring 2,200 white-collar staff in the United States. The announcement comes after a year of phenomenal growth — the company added 8,100 salaried and hourly positions in 2012 on the back of a 4.7 percent annual increase in sales.

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Unsurprisingly, the markets have reacted favorably to all the good news. Shares are up 8.11 percent in 2013, after climbing nearly 25 percent in 2012. The company’s best December sales since 2006 indicate strength heading into a 2013 car market that is expected to grow to a total of 15.5 million vehicle sales from 14.5 million in 2012…