Recent articles for private investors with a focus on dividend announcements

SSE have announced an interim dividend of 24 pence, down 18% reflecting dividend policy outlined in May 2018
The interim dividend of 24 pence is in line with the 80 pence per share that is expected to be recommended at year-end and is consistent with the five-year plan announced in May 2018, to which SSE remains committed.

Vodafone announces an interim dividend per share of 4.50 eurocents, equivalent to 50% of the FY19 total dividend payout.
The Board intends to have a progressive dividend policy, and the decision on the level of dividend growth will be assessed annually at year-end. Going forwards, the interim dividend is expected to be 50% of the prior full year dividend. Consistent with this approach, the interim dividend for H1 FY20 has been set at 4.50 eurocents.

Land Securities announce first half dividend up 2.7% to 23.2p per share
Land Securities will be paying a second quarterly dividend of 11.6p per share on 3 January 2020 to shareholders registered at the close of business on 29 November 2019. This will be paid wholly as a Property Income Distribution. Taken together with the first quarterly dividend of 11.6p per share, paid wholly as a Property Income Distribution on 4 October 2019, their first half dividend will be 23.2p per share (six months ended 30 September 2018: 22.6p per share), representing an increase of 2.7% and a total payment of £172m (six months ended 30 September 2018: £167m).

Electrocomponents announce an 11.3% growth in interim dividend, in line with policy.
The Electrocomponents Board intends to continue to pursue a progressive dividend policy whilst remaining committed to a healthy dividend cover over time by driving improved results and stronger cash flow.

Aveva interim dividend up 10.7% to 15.5 pence per share
In line with the Aveva Board's progressive dividend policy, AVEVA intends to pay an interim dividend of 15.5 pence per share at a cost of £25.0 million (H1 FY19: 14.0 pence per share at a cost of £22.5 million). The interim dividend will be payable on 7 February 2020 to shareholders on the register on 10 January 2020.

Experian announce first interim dividend up 4% to 14.5 US cents per ordinary share.
A first interim dividend of 14.5 US cents per ordinary share will be paid on 31 January 2020 to shareholders on the register at the close of business on 3 January 2020 and is not included as a liability in these condensed half-yearly financial statements. The announced dividend payment of 14.5 US cents per ordinary share is a gross amount. The first interim dividend for the six months ended 30 September 2018 was 14.0 US cents per ordinary share and the total dividend per ordinary share for the year ended 31 March 2019 was 46.5 US cents with a total full year cost of US$420m.

Adept announce interim dividend increased by 4% to 5.10p per share
On 7 April 2019 the Adept Technology Group paid dividends of £1,194,165 in relation to the interim dividend declared in September 2018.

DCC plc announces an interim dividend increase of 10% to 49.5 pence per share.
The DCC Plc Board has decided to pay an interim dividend of 49.48 pence per share, which represents a 10.0% increase on the prior year interim dividend of 44.98 pence per share. This dividend will be paid on 11 December 2019 to shareholders on the register at the close of business on 22 November 2019.

Oxford Instruments have announced an interim dividend increase of 7.9% to 4.10 pence
The Board has declared an interim dividend increase of 7.9% to 4.1 pence (2018: 3.8 pence), reflecting improvement in underlying earnings per share.

B&M maintain dividend at 2.7p per share
B&M have announced an interim dividend of 2.7p per Ordinary Share will be paid on 20 December 2019 to shareholders on the register at 22 November 2019 which is in line with the prior year (FY19:2.7p).

3i infrastructure on track to deliver increased FY20 dividend of 9.2 pence per share.
The 3i Infrastructure Board is announcing the payment of an interim dividend of 4.6 pence per share, scheduled to be paid on 13 January 2020 to holders of ordinary shares on the register on 29 November 2019. The ex-dividend date will be 28 November 2019. As an investment trust, the Company is permitted to designate dividends wholly or partly as interest distributions for UK tax purposes. The Board is designating 3.4 pence of the 4.6 pence interim dividend as an interest distribution. More details relating to this can be found in the Information for shareholders section.

Halfords announce a maintained dividend of 6.18p per share
The Board has approved an interim dividend of 6.18 pence per share (H1 FY19: 6.18 pence), which is flat year-on-year. This will be paid on 17 January 2020 to shareholders on the register at the close of business on 5 December 2019.

Renewi announce an interim dividend of 0.45p per share
An interim dividend of 0.45 pence (2018/19: 0.95 pence) per ordinary share was approved by the Renewi Board on 7 November 2019 and will be paid on 10 January 2020 to shareholders on the register at close of business on 29 November 2019.

GCP announce first interim dividend of the year at 1.57p per share
The GCP Student Living Board has announced a first interim dividend of 1.57 pence per ordinary share, in respect of the quarter ended 30 September 2019. The dividend will be paid on 16 December 2019 to ordinary shareholders on the register at 15 November 2019. The dividend will be paid as 1.49 pence per ordinary share as a REIT property income distribution ("PID") in respect of the Group's tax-exempt property rental business and 0.08 pence per ordinary share as an ordinary UK dividend ("non-PID").

Auto Trader announce an interim dividend of 2.4 pence per share
The final dividend for the year ended 31 March 2019 of 4.6 pence per share (H1 2019: 4.0 pence) was paid on 27 September 2019, totaling £42.6m (H1 2019: £37.9m). During the period, a total of 5.1 million shares (H1 2019: 9.6 million) were repurchased for a total consideration of £27.2m (H1 2019: £42.9m) before transaction costs of £0.1m (H1 2019: £0.2m). This decrease in the number of shares repurchased in the period was largely due to a reduction in the level of surplus cash available. Total cash returned to shareholders in the period was £69.8m (H1 2019: £80.8m).

Tate & Lyle announce an interim dividend increased by 0.2p to 8.8p per share, up 2.3%
An increase in the interim dividend for the six months to 30 September 2019 of 0.2p to 8.8p has been approved by the Tate & Lyle Board. This will be paid on 3 January 2020 to all shareholders on the Register of Members on 22 November 2019. In addition to the cash dividend option, shareholders will continue to be offered a Dividend Reinvestment Plan alternative.

Sainsbury announce an interim dividend of 3.3 pence per share, up 6 per cent
Interim dividend of 3.3 pence per share, up 6 per cent, in line with their policy of paying 30 per cent of prior full year dividend. Full year dividend policy will change to 1.9x cover by underlying earnings (versus 2.0x previously) to offset the dilutive non cash impact of IFRS 16 on underlying earnings.

Target Healthcare announces first interim dividend at 1.67p per share
Target Healthcare today declared its first interim dividend payment for the year to 30 June 2020, in respect of the period from 1 July 2019 to 30 September 2019 of 1.67 pence per share as detailed in the schedule below:

Connect announce a final and full year dividend for FY2019 of 1.0p, down 2.1p from the previous year
Connect Group's Board has evaluated the overall performance in the year and in light of both ongoing confidence in future positive cash flows and the immediate priorities of the business, the Board has resolved to recommend a final dividend of 1.0p, leaving the full year dividend as 1.0p to be paid in February 2020, a reduction of 2.1p or 67.7% (FY2018: 3.1p).

Gattaca Plc cut dividend from previous annual 3.0p per share
The Gattaca Board are not recommending a final dividend given the economic headwinds in the UK, the significant non-underlying costs incurred this year and the continuing investment in our Primary Business Systems.

Marks & Spencer announce interim dividend of 3.9p, as previously indicated, down 40%
The Marks & Spencer Board have announced an interim dividend of 3.9p per ordinary share. This will be paid on 10 January 2020 to shareholders on the register of members as at close of business on 15 November 2019.

Imperial Brands announce an annual dividend of 206.58p up +10%
The Group has paid two interim dividends totalling 62.56 pence per share in June 2019 and September 2019, in line with their quarterly dividend payment policy to give shareholders a more regular cash return.

Associated British Foods announce a final dividend of 34.3 pence per share
Associated British Foods announce a final dividend of 34.3 pence per share which will be paid on 10 January 2020 to shareholders on the Company's register of members at the close of business on 13 December 2019. The ex-dividend date will be 12 December 2019.

BT declares a maintained interim dividend of 4.62p per share
BT have declared an interim dividend of 4.62p per share, 30% of last year's full-year dividend of 15.4p per share.

PROACTIS holdings cut dividend
The Prooactis Board announced in April 2019 that it had decided to suspend the payment of an annual dividend. Therefore, no final dividend is proposed (2018: 1.5p per ordinary share).

Bloomsbury announce an interim dividend up 6% to 1.28 pence per share
The Board has declared an interim dividend of 1.28 pence per share, a 6% increase on the 1.21 pence per share interim dividend for the six months ended 31 August 2018. The dividend will be paid on 6 December 2019 to Shareholders on the register on the record date of 8 November 2019.

BP announce a dividend of 10.25 cents per share for the quarter
BP today announced a quarterly dividend of 10.25 cents per ordinary share ($0.615 per ADS), which is expected to be paid on 20 December 2019. The corresponding amount in sterling will be announced on 9 December 2019. BP also announced that the board has suspended the scrip dividend alternative in respect of the third quarter 2019 dividend. Dividend reinvestment plans will be introduced effective from this third quarter dividend.

Braemar Shipping announce a maintained interim dividend of 5p per share
The Braemar Shipping Board has declared an interim dividend of 5.0p per share (full year 2018/19: 15.0p, half year 2018/19: 5.0p). This is a reflection of the current positive shipbroking market and the Board will continue to keep the future dividend policy under review. This interim dividend will be paid on 13 December 2019 to shareholders on the register at the close of business on 1 November 2019. The last date for Dividend Reinvestment Plan (DRIP) elections will be 22 November 2019.

Softcat announce a final dividend of 10.4p up 18% and special dividend of 16.0p
A final dividend of 10.4p per share has been recommended by the Directors and if approved by shareholders will be paid on 13 December 2019. The final ordinary dividend will be payable to shareholders whose names are on the register at the close of business on 8 November 2019. Shares in the Company will be quoted ex-dividend on 7 November 2019. The dividend reinvestment plan ('DRIP') election date is 22 November 2019.

Whitbread maintain dividend at 32.7pence per share
Whitbread's dividend policy is to grow the dividend broadly in line with earnings across the cycle. An interim dividend of 32.7 pence per share (H1 FY19: 32.7p), flat versus last year, amounting to £44 million, was declared by the Board on 21 October 2019. The dividend will be paid on 13 December 2019 to all shareholders on the register at the close of business on 8 November 2019. Shareholders will again be offered the option to participate in a dividend re-investment plan.

WH Smith declare final dividend increased by 8%. Share buyback of £31m completed
The WH Smith Board has a progressive dividend policy and expects that over time dividends would be broadly covered twice by earnings calculated on a normalised tax basis. The Board has proposed a final dividend of 41.0p per share, an increase of 8% on the prior year, giving a total ordinary dividend per share of 58.2p, an 8% increase on the prior year.

Walker Greenbank announce decreased interim dividend of 0.52p per share with full year dividend pay-out ratio expected to be maintained
The Walker Greenbank Board has declared an interim dividend of 0.52p per share (H1 2018: 0.69p) with the previous year's dividend pay-out ratio expected to be maintained for the current financial year. The interim dividend will be payable on 22 November 2019 to shareholders on the register as at 25 October 2019.

Bellway propose a 5.2% increase in the total dividend per share to 150.4p
Bellway have announced that their growth in earnings has enabled the board to recommend a 5.3% increase in the final dividend to 100.0p per share (2018 - 95.0p), increasing the proposed total dividend for the year by 5.2% to 150.4p per share (2018 - 143.0p).

Morses Club plc have proposed an interim dividend of 2.6p
As a result of the progress made with their strategy, the Morses Club Board is delighted to declare an interim dividend of 2.6p per share

N Brown declares maintained dividend of 2.83p per share
The N Brown Group Plc Board is declaring an interim dividend of 2.83p per share which is flat on last year's interim dividend.

Volution declare full-year dividend of 4.90 pence per share, up 10.4%
Volution paid an interim dividend of 1.60 pence per share in May 2019. On the basis of their results and financial position, the Volution Board has proposed a final dividend of 3.30 pence per share, giving a total dividend for the financial year of 4.90 pence (2018: 4.44 pence per share), an increase of 10.4% on the previous year.

Air Partner declares an interim dividend of 1.80p, an increase of 0.05p (2.9%) on the prior year
Despite the underlying profit before tax being down year-on-year, the Board is proposing to increase the interim dividend by 0.05p (2.9%) to 1.80p, which is in line with our stated dividend policy of cover being between 1.5 and 2.0 times underlying earnings per share.

PHP announces quarterly interim dividend of 1.4pence per share
PHP announces the payment of its fourth quarterly interim dividend in 2019 of 1.4 pence per ordinary share of 12.5 pence each (Ordinary Shares). The dividend will comprise a Property Income Distribution (PID) of 0.5 pence per share and an ordinary dividend of 0.9 pence per share. The Company will be offering a scrip alternative with this dividend.

Ted Baker cuts dividend by 56.4% to 7.8p per share
The Board has declared an interim dividend of 7.8p (2018: 17.9p), which will be payable on 22 November 2019 to shareholders on the register at the close of business on 11 October 2019.

Tesco announce an interim dividend of 2.65p, +58.7%; expect full year dividend pay-out ratio of 50%
The interim dividend has been set at 2.65 pence per ordinary share, an increase of 58.7% year-on-year. The interim dividend was approved by the Board of Directors on 1 October 2019. As previously announced, they anticipate a split of broadly one-third to two-thirds between the interim and final dividend and expect a full year dividend pay-out ratio of 50%.

Ferguson Plc are proposing a final dividend of 145.1 cents which brings the total dividend to 208.2 cents, 10 per cent ahead of last year.
Since the end of the financial year, the Directors have proposed a final ordinary dividend of $332 million (145.1 cents per share). The dividend is subject to approval by shareholders at the Annual General Meeting and is therefore not included in the balance sheet as a liability at 31 July 2019.

Next Fifteen interim dividend up 15.7% from 2.16p to 2.5p per share
The Next Fifteen Board has resolved to pay an interim dividend of 2.5p per share, which is a 15.7% increase on the interim dividend for last year. This will be paid on 22 November 2019 to shareholders whose names appear on the register of members at close of business on 25 October 2019.

James Halstead announce final dividend per ordinary share proposed of 10.0p- up 3.6%
The James Halstead board proposes an increased final dividend. The final dividend will be 10.0p (2018: 9.65p) representing a 3.6% increase which, combined with the interim dividend paid in June 2019 of 4.0p (2018: 3.85p), makes a total of 14.0p (2018: 13.5p) for the year, an increase of 3.7%.

Caledonia Mining announce dividend of 6.857 US cent per share
Caledonia's strategy to maximise shareholder value includes a quarterly dividend policy which the board of directors adopted in 2014. It is expected that the current dividend of twenty-seven and a half United States cents per annum, paid in equal quarterly instalments, will be maintained.

NewRiver has declared a second quarterly dividend of 5.4 pence per share
NewRiver is pleased to announce that it has declared a second quarterly dividend of 5.4 pence per share in respect of the year ending 31 March 2020. This dividend will be paid as a Property Income Distribution (PID).

ScS announce a recommended final dividend of 11.20p per share, full year dividend of 16.70p per share, an increase of 3.1%
The ScS dividend policy aims to ensure they target improving returns to shareholders, with earnings cover in the range of 1.25x to 2.00x and cash cover in the range of 1.75x to 2.25x. With this in mind, the Board is proposing a final dividend of 11.20p. If approved, this would give a full-year dividend of 16.70p, an increase of 3.1% on the full-year dividend for 2018.

CVS announces dividend increase of 10% to 5.5p per share
CVS has proposed to pay a dividend of 5.5p per share in December 2019, a 10.0% increase on the 5.0p per share paid in 2018. The financial performance of the business and its strong cash generation support an increase in dividends whilst enabling the Group to retain sufficient funds for further investment in the business.

DFS Furniture announce a maintain dividend of 7.5p
The DFS Furniture Board has carefully considered the balance between regular dividends supported by the performance, expectations and capital needs of the Group and the return of capital where there is a surplus. They anticipate that value created over time will be delivered to shareholders through a combination of capital growth and dividends.

Centaur today announce a dividend equivalent to 3.5p per share, including a special dividend
Centaur media is today announcing a dividend payment of £5m, equivalent to 3.5p per share, payable on 25 October 2019. This includes a 2p per share special dividend as the first distribution of the proceeds from the recent disposals. Centaur intends to make further returns of cash in 2020 with these payments being subject to, inter alia, satisfactory group performance and ensuring the group has sufficient working capital to continue to invest in its strategy.

An interim dividend of 4.00 pence per share has been declared by Barr (A.G.)
The Board has declared an interim dividend of 4.00 pence per share, payable on 25 October 2019 to shareholders on the register on 4 October 2019. This represents an increase on the prior year of 2.5% and reflects the Board's confidence in the Group's long-term growth prospects.
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