Oil companies prop up UK dividends and investors heed commodity headwinds

UK Link Dividend Monitor

UK dividends paid £14.2bn in the first fiscal quarter of this year, down 24.9% compared to Q4 2021, according to the latest UK Link Dividend Monitor, though readjusted for one-off dividends and BHP’s departure from the UK market, levels jumped 12.2% to £13.3bn.

According to Link, the biggest contributor over the period came from the oil sector, which was up 29%, while all other sectors delivered increased payouts as well. Mid-cap dividends climbed faster than the top 100 companies, increasing 30.5% on an underlying basis. According to Link, total dividends could reach £92.2bn this year, down 0.8% year-on-year, which it attributed to lower one-off pay-outs and BHP's exit from London. Payouts including specials totalled £85.8bn, 15.2% higher than in 2021, after adjusting for BHP, it said. Global Dividends to hit new record in 2022 Acc...