Page 12 - PowerPoint Presentation
P. 12
THE DIVIDEND DECISION
Dividend policy in practice and dividend stability
• Directors tend to believe that a stable dividend policy is in the interest
of shareholders.
• As a result, they will aim to maintain a constant or gradually growing
dividend through time, regardless of earnings’ fluctuations.
• In order to achieve dividend stability, companies may pay low regular
dividends that can easily be maintained. On top of this, they will then
make extra dividend payments in good years. This would be
designated as a special dividend, with no assurance that it will be
repeated (thereby creating no expectations).
12