(Telecompaper) Qualcomm has announced that its board of directors has approved a 40 percent increase in the company's quarterly cash dividend and, effective immediately, a new USD 5.0 billion stock repurchase programme to replace the prior USD 4.0 billion stock repurchase programme, which had USD 2.5 billion of repurchase authority remaining. The cash dividend will increase from USD 0.25 to USD 0.35 per share of common stock and will be effective for quarterly dividends payable after 27 March. This dividend increase will raise the annualised dividend payout to USD 1.40 per share of common stock.