Financials boost Q2 dividend payouts to record levels

Strong performance from financials bumped up UK payouts to a second quarter record of £29.2bn this year, according to the latest Capita Dividend Monitor.

The figure is a 13.2% increase on the £25.8bn reported in Q2 2014, a rise which constitutes the fastest headline growth since 2012.  Underlying dividends, which exclude special payouts, reached an all-time quarterly record of £28.3bn, up 12.7% year-on-year. The improving growth rate, which has been prompted by a stronger US dollar and greater payouts from financials, has also prompted Capita to raise its forecast for full-year headline and underlying dividends. The firm now believes headline dividend payouts in 2015 will be £600m higher than first thought, at £87.2bn. Its forecast ...