Hillenbrand Increases Quarterly Dividend to $0.1875 Per Share

BATESVILLE, Ind., Dec. 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The board of directors for Hillenbrand, Inc. (NYSE: HI) has declared a regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.1875 per share on the company's common stock, a 1.35 percent increase over the previous quarterly rate of $0.185 per share. The dividend is payable Dec. 31, 2009, to shareholders of record at the close of business on Dec. 17, 2009.

"The board's decision to increase the dividend for the second consecutive year reflects its confidence in the company's continued financial strength," said Kenneth A. Camp, Hillenbrand president and CEO. "Our historical annual dividend payout of more than $45 million is an important part of our commitment to return a meaningful portion of our strong cash flow to shareholders."

ABOUT HILLENBRAND, INC.

Hillenbrand, Inc. (www.HillenbrandInc.com) is the holding company for Batesville Casket Company, a leader in the North American death care industry through the sale of funeral services products, including burial caskets, cremation caskets, containers and urns, selection room display fixturing and other personalization and memorialization products. HI-INC-F

SOURCE Hillenbrand, Inc.

Released December 2, 2009