UK dividend payments down 8.5%
in 2nd Quarter 2010

UK companies paid out £15bn in dividends in the second quarter
8.5 per cent less than the same period a year earlier.

According to Capita Registrars, exceptional factors played a role in dividend payments being down, including:

• timing effect of £260m of dividend payments brought forward to pre April 6th, 2010, in order to beat the introduction of the 50% top tax rate

  AND

• BP's projected dividend payment equivalent to almost £2bn was cancelled

Dividends Paid £bn	2008		2009				2010
Q1	£12.6		£13.9		10.2%		£13.6		-2.5%
Q2	£22.0		£16.4		-25.5%		£15.0		-8.5%
H1	£34.6		£30.3		-12.5%		£28.6		-5.6%

However, adjusting for these one-off factors, UK dividends rose by almost 7 per cent in the second quarter.