Dividends
- Declared interim dividend of 20 cents. The Board of Diageo has decided to reduce the dividend to accelerate the strengthening of the balance sheet and create more financial flexibility. The Board is targeting a 30-50% payout policy going forward which will enable Diageo to balance investment in the business with attractive shareholder returns through dividends and where appropriate share buybacks.
- The interim dividend will be paid to holders of ordinary shares and US ADRs on register as of 17 April 2026. The ex-dividend date is 16 April 2026 for holders of ordinary shares and 17 April 2026 for holders of US ADRs. Holders of ordinary shares will receive their dividends in sterling unless they elect to receive their dividends in US dollars by 8 May 2026.
Other financial highlights:
- Reported operating profit declined 1.2% due to organic operating profit decline and lower exceptional operating charges. Reported operating profit margin grew 85bps, primarily due to the positive impact of disposals.
- Organic net sales declined 2.8%, driven by organic volume down 0.9% and negative price/mix of 1.9%. Strong organic net sales growth in Europe, Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) and Africa was more than offset by softer performance in North America given pressure on disposable income impacting US Spirits, and the adverse impact of Chinese white spirits (CWS) in Asia Pacific.
