Cincinnati Financial Ups Dividend, Names New Directors and Officers

Property-casualty insurer Cincinnati Financial Corp. increased its quartly cash divided 12.4 percent to 25 cents per share and its subsidiaries named new directors, officers and counsel at the company’s Feb. 1 regular meeting.

The new $1 per share annual dividend is up from 89 cents per share in 2002 and 84 cents in 2001.

CEO John J. Schiff Jr. boasted of a positive 0.8 percent return to shareholdes while Standard & Poor’s SuperComposite property-casualty index showed a negative 9 percent return.

Senior vice president and chief insurance officer James E. Benoski now sits on the boards of all six subsidiary boards, including P/C subsidiaries the Cincinnati Insurance Co., the Cincinnati Casualty Co. and the Cincinnati Indemnity Co.

Other promotions and appointments included Gary J. Kline, named vice president of commercial lines, Charles E. Robinson, named vice president of field claims, and Gary B. Stuart, named vice president of sales and marketing.