CLEVELAND, Oct. 27, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc., (Nasdaq: LECO ) announced today that its Board of Directors has approved a 10.3% increase in the quarterly cash dividend, from $0.29 per share to $0.32 per share, or to $1.28 per share on an annualized basis. The declared quarterly cash dividend of $0.32 per common share is payable January 15, 2016 to shareholders of record as of December 31, 2015. "The dividend increase combined with our share repurchase program reflects confidence in our cash flow generation and solid execution of our '2020 Vision and Strategy,'" stated Christopher L. Mapes, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "Today's announcement reflects a 94% increase in the dividend payout rate over the last five years and demonstrates our commitment to return cash to shareholders while continuing to invest in profitable, long-term growth through the economic cycle."