Korean firms' interim dividends sink over 21 pct on coronavirus
SEOUL, Sept. 7 (Yonhap) -- South Korean listed companies' half-year dividends tumbled more than 20 percent this year on the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic, market data showed Monday.
Local listed firms paid out 2.92 trillion won (US$2.46 billion) in interim dividends in June, down 21.3 percent from a year earlier, according to the data from market tracker FnGuide.
It marks the first time in three years that listed companies' half-year dividends have fallen below the 3 trillion-won mark.
Excluding top-cap Samsung Electronics Co., local firms' half-year dividends nose-dived 60.5 percent from a year earlier to 516.2 billion won.
The number of dividend-paying firms also fell to 46 this year from 49 from a year ago, but eight of the 15 top dividend payers skipped half-year payments.
Those companies include leading automaker Hyundai Motor Co., No. 1 auto parts maker Hyundai Mobis Co. and top oil refiner SK Innovation Co.
Hyundai Motor paid out 263 billion won in June last year, with half-year dividends by Hyundai Mobis reaching 94.7 billion won.
Top steelmaker POSCO's interim dividends came to nearly 40 billion won this year, only one-fourth of last year's 160.2 billion won.
Attributing the plunge in half-year dividends to falling earnings due to the coronavirus outbreak, analysts predicted listed firms' interim dividends to decline at a slower pace in the second half.
(END)
-
(News Focus) Samsung's Lee expected to solidify leadership, step up biz activities after receiving pardon
-
S. Korea expresses deep regret over Japanese PM's offering to war shrine
-
(LEAD) Yoon pledges to improve ties with Japan, offers economic aid in exchange for N.K. denuclearization
-
(LEAD) Bill Gates calls for S. Korea to play leading role in global health cooperation
-
Minor candidate proposes candidacy merger in DP leadership race
-
(2nd LD) Samsung heir Lee granted special presidential pardon
-
(News Focus) Samsung's Lee expected to solidify leadership, step up biz activities after receiving pardon
-
(LEAD) Yoon pledges to improve ties with Japan, offers economic aid in exchange for N.K. denuclearization
-
(3rd LD) THAAD issue not subject to negotiation: presidential office
-
Today in Korean history
-
(LEAD) N. Korea fires two cruise missiles toward Yellow Sea: S. Korean official
-
N. Korea fires two cruise missiles missile toward Yellow Sea: S. Korean official
-
(LEAD) S. Korea's new COVID-19 cases soar to 4-month high of over 180,000
-
(3rd LD) Yoon offers to carry out aid projects as long as N.K. shows denuclearization commitment
-
Yoon says he doesn't want change status quo changed by force in N. Korea