India’s Infosys pays record 870 per cent dividend for 2017-18

BENGALURU: Global software major Infosys Ltd rewarded its investors with a record 870 per cent aggregate dividend or Rs 43.50 per share of Rs 5 face value for fiscal 2017-18.

In a regulatory filing on the BSE, the city-based IT firm said its board had agreed to pay out a total dividend of Rs 33.50 per share (670 per cent), including Rs 20.50 (410 per cent) final dividend and Rs 13 (260 per cent) interim dividend and a special dividend of Rs 10 per share (200 per cent).

Dividend pay-out includes Dividend Distribution Tax (DDT).

The company’s investors or shareholders are promoters, including their families, foreign and domestic institutional investors, employees with stock options and retail worldwide, as its scrip is listed and traded on Indian, European and American bourses. Total dividend paid in previous fiscal (2016-17) was Rs 25.75 (515 per cent) per share, including Rs 14.75 (295 per cent) final and Rs 11 (220 per cent) interim.

As part of its capital allocation policy, the board has agreed to pay a whopping Rs 130,00 crore ($2 billion) to the shareholders through the special dividend amounting to Rs 2,600 crore ($400 million).

“The board has also identified Rs 10,400 crore ($1,600 million) to be paid out to investors for fiscal 2018-19 in a manner it will decide during this year,” said the company in a statement here.

The policy envisages returning up to 70 per cent of the company’s free cash flow of the corresponding fiscal year in a manner to be decided by its board from time to time.

“Free cash flow is defined as net cash provided by operating activities less capital expenditure as per the consolidated statement of cash flows prepared under the International Financial Reporting Standard (IFRS),” noted the statement.

The board reviewed the policy at its Friday meeting keeping in view the company’s strategic and operational cash requirements in the medium term. For the final dividend of Rs 20.50 per share, the pay out to investors amounts to Rs 5,349 crore ($821 million), including DDT.