Dividends

Thames Water’s nationalisation barrier has a leak

3 September 2018

The utility is reining in dividends and spending 12 bln pounds to restore ropey infrastructure. Given a Labour government under current opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn might nationalise the sector, caution is wise. But Thames’ inability to cut bills still leaves it an outlier.

Brexit dividend will be cashed in euros

6 July 2018

Nine months before Britain is due to leave the European Union its departure terms remain unclear. Prime Minister Theresa May’s latest plan cannot provide the certainty businesses seek: hence the shifting of investment and people elsewhere. Banks look set to lose whatever happens.

HSBC capital surplus may be hiding in plain sight

26 June 2018

The Asia-focused bank’s shareholders are disappointed by new CEO John Flint’s pledge to merely maintain dividends. A Bank of England review of capital rules is one reason to be cautious. But even with tougher requirements, HSBC could still afford to substantially raise payouts.

Fiat Chrysler investors fear capital-junkie return

1 June 2018

Shares fell 7 pct despite boss Sergio Marchionne's pledge to pay a dividend, cut costs and double profit by 2022. The new plan also includes 9 bln euros for electric cars and a U.S. finance unit. That may worry owners that the CEO’s successor could fall off the spending wagon.

UK slide raises Santander’s modest bar to success

24 April 2018

Net profit in its British unit dropped 21 pct, blotting the Spanish bank’s solid first quarter. Strong growth in Brazil and Spain, however, more than made up for Brexit-related jitters. More of the same should allow Santander to hit its full-year earnings and dividend targets.

Legal woes could impair SocGen’s 2020 vision

29 March 2018

The French lender says it is close to settling with U.S. regulators over investigations relating to Libya and Libor. A sanctions-busting probe could pose a sterner test, though. Any fine above 1.8 bln euros could threaten SocGen’s capital target – and put pressure on dividends.

Ares tax switcheroo may attract few copycats

15 February 2018

The manager of $106 bln in alternative assets is going to pay U.S. corporate tax rather than elect for partnership treatment. That should boost its investment appeal – and, for Ares, the numbers add up. The likes of Blackstone, with lumpier earnings, probably have less to gain.

Intesa dividend pledge depends on Italian growth

6 February 2018

The country’s biggest bank promises 6 bln euros of net profit in 2021 thanks to a push into wealth and insurance products. If CEO Carlo Messina keeps his word, payouts to shareholders over the next four years will be 50 percent higher. But only if there are no upsets at home.

UK pension watchdog needs new tools, and backbone

24 January 2018

Prime minister Theresa May vowed to punish groups that fail to protect retirement benefits, like collapsed outsourcer Carillion. New tools could include fining companies or curbing payouts. But the regulator can do more with the powers it already has to make companies fill gaps.

GE’s shaman exorcises ghosts of false expectations

13 November 2017

It doesn't take much imagination at work to grasp John Flannery's approach to the $178 bln conglomerate. He has halved the dividend, cut earnings guidance and questioned GE's portfolio of industrial assets. Next up is a total restructuring of GE's bloated, under-engaged board.

Belt-tightening gives Tidjane Thiam breathing room

2 November 2017

The Credit Suisse boss delivered an 80 pct jump in third-quarter pre-tax profit despite lower revenue. An activist seeking to break up the Swiss lender can point to a misfiring investment bank. But cost-cutting and higher wealth management earnings give Thiam the upper hand.

Shell and BP stuck incinerating shareholder value

2 November 2017

After years adjusting to cheap oil, Shell and BP are beating earnings estimates and throwing off enough cash to cover dividends. BP will soon be buying back shares, too. It’s a start. But even if prices hold up, it will be years before their returns top their cost of capital.

BT’s dividend signal faces interference

1 November 2017

The British telco has pledged to keep lifting payouts to shareholders despite the burden of pension payments, rising capex and sports rights. Dividends could suck up almost all its free cash over the next three years. A 6 percent yield suggests investors think it’s at risk.

GSK’s new CEO held hostage by dividend cult

26 October 2017

The British pharmaceutical company’s market value slid by 6 bln pounds after Emma Walmsley suggested big deals and dividends might not be compatible. Being flexible is perfectly rational – unlike investors craving for high payouts at the potential expense of growth.

Tesco is spinning its wheels to get nowhere fast

4 October 2017

CEO Dave Lewis has boosted margins at Britain’s biggest supermarket, shrunk the pension deficit and cut debt. The first dividend in three years confirms the rebound. Yet the threat from inflation, weak consumer demand and online rivals have left Tesco shares stuck in a rut.

Greenhill takes painful path back to the old days

25 September 2017

The M&A boutique is piling on debt to buy back a third of its stock and may scrap the dividend. CEO Scott Bok and staff will own almost half the firm, making it more like a Wall Street partnership of yore. The move, however, is being made from a position of weakness not strength.

NAB’s capital loss points to dividend challenges

6 February 2017

The Australian lender's Tier 1 capital ratio dropped after a payout to shareholders. Rising funding costs, intense competition and tougher capital rules threaten Australian banks' ability to remain generous, a key attraction of an otherwise unimpressive sector.

U.S. company cash deluge will lift only some boats

28 December 2016

Slashing corporate tax rates may break the dam on $2.5 trln booked overseas. The actual amount repatriated could be less than half that, however. And while CEOs and politicians talk about more jobs and factories, it's best to brace for a flood of buybacks, dividends and deals.

Don’t be duped by Europe’s dazzling dividends

19 August 2016

Company payouts are higher than normal relative to share prices. That is usually a signal to buy stocks, especially given ultra-low bond yields. But dividends are far loftier than may be sustainable when compared with expected earnings. Their siren call is better ignored.

BHP Billiton reaches earnings nadir

16 August 2016

A ray of light is appearing for the mining giant. Weak global demand and a Brazilian dam disaster were partly to blame for a record $6.4 bln full-year net loss but the worst has passed. As long as prices stabilise, cost-cutting will allow BHP to return more cash to shareholders.