The Board of Directors of AmerisourceBergen Corporation (NYSE:ABC) today announced a two-for-one stock split of the Company’s outstanding shares of common stock. The Board also plans to increase the quarterly dividend by 20 percent to $0.06 per common share on a post-split basis beginning with the third fiscal quarter of 2009.

R. David Yost, AmerisourceBergen President and Chief Executive Officer, said, “The two-for-one stock split and the planned 20 percent quarterly dividend increase reflect our continued confidence in our performance and our disciplined use of cash to deliver long-term value to our shareholders.”

The split will be in the form of a stock dividend, whereby each stockholder will receive one additional share for each share owned. The new shares will be distributed June 15, 2009 to stockholders of record at the close of business on May 29, 2009. The Company currently has approximately 150.8 million shares of common stock outstanding. After the split, the Company expects to have approximately 301.5 million shares outstanding, excluding any share repurchase or option exercise activity between now and the split date.

AmerisourceBergen reaffirmed its fiscal year 2009 expectations for diluted earnings per share from continuing operations in the range of $3.18 to $3.30, or $1.59 to $1.65 on a post-split basis, over the $2.89, or $1.44 on a split-adjusted basis, in fiscal year 2008. The Company also reaffirmed the assumptions supporting the fiscal 2009 diluted earnings per share from continuing operations range: revenue growth of between 1 percent and 3 percent; operating margin expansion in the low to mid single digit basis point range; and free cash flow in the range of $460 million to $535 million, which includes capital expenditures in the $140 million range. Also unchanged is the expected repurchase of approximately $350 million of AmerisourceBergen common shares in fiscal 2009.

About AmerisourceBergen

AmerisourceBergen is one of the world's largest pharmaceutical services companies serving the United States, Canada and selected global markets. Servicing both pharmaceutical manufacturers and healthcare providers in the pharmaceutical supply channel, the Company provides drug distribution and related services designed to reduce costs and improve patient outcomes. AmerisourceBergen's service solutions range from pharmacy automation and pharmaceutical packaging to reimbursement and pharmaceutical consulting services. With more than $70 billion in annual revenue, AmerisourceBergen is headquartered in Valley Forge, PA, and employs approximately 10,000 people.