A new report has revealed that companies paid
out £10bn less in dividends in 2009 compared with the previous year
leaving
pension and other
investment funds dangerously reliant on carbon-heavy
oil groups.
According to Capita Registrars Research, £57bn was given to
investors last year, which is a 15 per cent fall on the
previous 12-month period.
It has also been announced that 202 firms cut their dividends
payouts, while 74 companies paid out nothing at all.
Paul Taylor, Capita Registrars' head of dividends, explained
that the economic downturn had a negative impact on
investors.
He said: Much of the
banking sector is either in state or foreign hands, while the
ability of the remaining independents to pay dividends is severely
constrained by the need to rebuild their balance
sheets.
In addition, the Capita report states that investors have become
heavily dependent on five companies – BP, Shell,
HSBC,
Vodafone and GlaxoSmithKline – for 47 per cent of
dividends.
Meanwhile,
Prudential recently claimed that 72 per cent of
financial advisers are anticipating a rise in the number of
consumers looking to invest in
equities in 2010.
