First USA Inc., the parent of First USA Bank of Delaware, announed a 3 cent, or 30%, increase in its annual dividend, to 13 cents a share.
Reflecting the new rate, a 3.25-cent quarterly dividend will be paid Aug. 12 to shareholders of record on Aug. 2.
First USA reported last week that it earned a record $12.9 million, or 47 cents a share, in its fourth fiscal quarter, which ended June 30. Net income for the fiscal year rose to $39.2 million, or $1.46 a share, from $17.2 million. Per-share earnings rose 104% in the quarter and 143% for the year.
Felt Some Pressure
As a credit card specialist, First USA is one of the bell-wethers of industry profitability.
The bank felt some of the pressure that analysts say has begun to creep in, increasing its loss reserve and seeing the net interest margin fall by 30 basis points in the latest quarter. But for the fiscal year, the margin improved to 8.09% from 7.21%.
John C. Tolleson, chairman and chief executive officer, cited a 61% fiscal-year growth in managed credit card loans, including those in securitized portfolios; increases in cardholder and merchant volume; and a decline in the delinquency rate to 2.81% from 3.88% on June 30, 1992.
First USA opened 513,628 new accounts in its fourth fiscal quarter, almost equaling the 570,098 opened in all of fiscal 1992. The new-account total in fiscal 1993 doubled to 1.16 million.
First USA Inc.'s annual return on assets was 1.41% and return on equity 22.78%, while its bank earned 2.93% and 35.77%. Yet income continues to be depressed by amortization of goodwill resulting from the buyout of First USA in 1989.
