Great Southern shareholders get dividend

Great Southern Bancorp announced a fourth-quarter dividend on Wednesday for shareholders.

The holding company for Springfield-based Great Southern Bank declared dividends of 18 cents per common share, payable on Jan. 13 to shareholders of record on Dec. 31.

The fourth quarter of 2009 marks the ninth consecutive quarter in which Great Southern shareholders have received the 18-cent-per-share dividend on their common stock.

Great Southern operates 72 banking centers and more than 200 automated teller machines in Missouri, Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska, as well as a loan production office in Rogers, Ark.

Shares of Great Southern (Nasdaq: GSBC) closed Wednesday at $21.44, compared to a 52-week range of $8.51 to $24.60.