Listed firms' dividends dip 1.9 pct in 2019

SEOUL, May 27 (Yonhap) -- South Korean listed companies' dividend payouts slipped nearly 2 percent in 2019 from a year earlier amid a business slump, data showed Wednesday.

Cash dividends paid out by 1,094 firms listed on the country's main and secondary stock markets totaled 22.6 trillion won (US$18.3 billion) last year, down 1.9 percent from a year earlier, according to the data from the Korea Securities Depository.

The number of dividend-paying corporations was down 12 from the previous year.

The tally covers companies that close their books on Dec. 21 and excludes their payments of quarterly or interim dividends.

Dividend payouts to foreign shareholders came to 8.1 trillion won, down 5.5 percent from the prior year. The amount accounted for 36 percent of last year's total dividends.

Among the companies listed on the main KOSPI market, largest-cap and tech titan Samsung Electronics Co. paid the largest amount of cash dividends to foreigners at 1.4 trillion won.

KB Financial Group Inc. came next with 589.7 billion won, trailed by Shinhan Financial Group Co. with 573.1 billion won and leading automaker Hyundai Motor Co. with 379.2 billion won.

Dividend payments to U.S. shareholders reached the largest amount at 3.6 trillion won, or slightly over 44 percent of the total payouts to offshore investors. Britons came next with 7.8 percent, followed by those from Luxembourg with 6.4 percent.
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