New stats show
Growing corporate profits pushed global dividends 10.2 per cent higher on headline basis to $244.7bn in the first quarter, according to the Janus Henderson Global Dividend Index. The total was a record for the first quarter. All-time quarterly records were broken in Canada and the US, while first-quarter records were broken in one in four of the countries in the index. Asia Pacific ex Japan was the only region not to see an increase, owing to sharply lower special dividends in Hong Kong, and dividend cuts in Australia. The Janus Henderson Global Dividend Index ended the quarter at a record 174.2, meaning that global payouts last year were almost three-quarters higher than in 2009.
Key highlights
- Global dividends jump 10.2 per cent on a headline basis to $244.7bn in Q1, a record for first-quarter payouts
- Q1 exceeded expectations thanks to the weaker dollar; underlying growth of 5.9% met Janus Henderson’s forecast
- All-time quarterly records broken in Canada and the US; first-quarter records broken in one in four countries
- Asia Pacific ex Japan was the only region to see falling dividends due to lower special dividends in Hong Kong, and cuts in Australia
- 2018 set to see global dividend growth of 6 per cent in underlying terms
- Headline growth upgraded to 8.5%, helped by a weaker dollar, with payments expected to reach a record $1.358 trillion
Leave a Comment