Sector: Investment Trusts

S & U recommend a payment of a final dividend of 50p per ordinary share (2019: 51p) to shareholders on the register at the 19th June 2020. This means that total dividends this year will be 120p per share (2019: 118p) with this total dividend being again covered nearly exactly twice (2019: 1.98). As usual, final dividend will be subject to the approval of shareholders at our AGM, which will now be held by remote means on 9th June 2020.

The proposed Tesco final dividend was approved by the Board of Directors on 7 April 2020 and is subject to the approval of shareholders at this year's Annual General Meeting.  The final dividend will be paid on 3 July 2020 to shareholders who are on the register of members at close of business on 22 May 2020 (the Record Date).  Shareholders may elect to reinvest their dividend in the Dividend Reinvestment Plan (DRIP).  The last date for receipt of DRIP elections and revocations will be 12 June 2020.

In conjunction with its annual results on 17 March 2020, the Company confirmed a dividend target of 7.0p per share for FY2020. Given the necessary UK Government intervention in response to COVID-19 since that date, visibility over the economic impact and duration of the pandemic has reduced significantly. This has resulted in a slowdown in the occupational markets and increased the likelihood of delays in areas such as planning and construction. The Board therefore considers it prudent to withdraw its dividend guidance for the current financial year.

Within its Year End Results announcement on 5 March 2020 the Company proposed a final dividend for the year ending 30 December 2019 of 11 pence per share.

In view of current uncertainty, the board has decided to cancel the interim dividend (2019: £4.2m).

Due to the rapidly evolving situation and the UK Government response to the impact of COVID-19, the Travis Perkins Board expects the trading environment to change quickly and materially in the coming weeks. In response to this, the Board is taking prudent decisions in order to successfully navigate this period of turmoil. These include the suspension of the proposed full-year 2019 dividend and the pausing of the Wickes demerger process in light of current extreme stock market volatility.

 The intercontinental Hotels Board is withdrawing its recommendation of a final dividend of 85.9¢ (~$150m) announced on 18 February 2020 and will defer consideration of further dividends until visibility has improved.

In the current circumstances the Marks & Spencer Board does not anticipate making a final dividend payment for this financial year, resulting in an anticipated cash saving of c.£130m. They will review their policy at the interim results in November as visibility improves. 

The Group has continued to generate strong cash flows, deliver growth and build a balance sheet of increasing resilience. As a consequence, the Board has announced an interim dividend of 5.50p per ordinary share (2019: 5.50p). This dividend will be payable on 7 May 2020 to shareholders on the register on 17 April 2020. The ex-dividend date is 18 April 2020. 

Due to the unprecedented uncertainty facing businesses around the world from Covid-19, Portmeirion are not recommending a final dividend at this time. They will review in three months and consider declaring an additional interim dividend in line with the final dividend for 2018 (29.50p). This will preserve approximately £3.1 million in forecast cash as part of Covid-19 contingency measures.