Dividend paid for year | Number of shares that received dividends(1) | Unit dividend (in euros) | Total payout (in millions of euros) | Share price at December 31 (in euros) | Yield |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 2016 Number of shares that received dividends(1) 223,642,509 | 2016 Unit dividend (in euros) 1.85 | 2016 Total payout (in millions of euros) 413.7 | 2016 Share price at December 31 (in euros) 65.55 | 2016 Yield 2.82% |
| 2017 | 2017 Number of shares that received dividends(1) 227,064,967 | 2017 Unit dividend (in euros) 2.00 | 2017 Total payout (in millions of euros) 454.1 | 2017 Share price at December 31 (in euros) 56.65 | 2017 Yield 3.53% |
| 2018 | 2018 Number of shares that received dividends(1) 232,480,960 | 2018 Unit dividend (in euros) 2.12 | 2018 Total payout (in millions of euros) 492.9 | 2018 Share price at December 31 (in euros) 50.08 | 2018 Yield 4.23% |
| 2019 | 2019 Number of shares that received dividends(1) 240,437,061 | 2019 Unit dividend (in euros) 1.15(2) | 2019 Total payout (in millions of euros) 276.5 | 2019 Share price at December 31 (in euros) 40.36 | 2019 Yield 2.85% |
2020 | 2020 Number of shares that received dividends(1) 247,769,038 | 2020 Unit dividend (in euros) 2.00(3) | 2020 Total payout (in millions of euros) 495.5 | 2020 Share price at December 31 (in euros) 40.76 | 2020 Yield 4.91% |
(1) Number of dividend-bearing shares after deducting treasury shares, except for the 2020 appropriation, which includes treasury shares existing as at December 31, 2020.
(2) The dividend to be paid in respect of the 2019 financial year was reduced from euro 2.30 to euro 1.15 per share, as part of an exceptional measure related to the Covid-19 pandemic.
(3) Submitted to Shareholders’ vote during the General Shareholders’ Meeting of May 26, 2021.
The dividends will be time-barred after five years. They are then paid to the French state. In 2014, the Company raised its medium-term payout ratio commitment, set at 35% until that point, to 42%, reflecting its determination to reach the average payout ratio for its industry. In order to honor this commitment, the dividend in respect of 2014, 2015 and 2016 was euro 1.20, 1.60 and then 1.85 per share, which represents a payout ratio of 33.0%, 36.4% and 41.5% respectively of diluted earnings per share. With the aim of further increasing the payout ratio in line with competitor practices, a proposal was made to increase the dividend to euro 2.00 per share for 2017, which represents a payout ratio of 44.4% of diluted headline earnings per share and an increase of 8.1% over the previous year.
As part of the “Sprint to the Future” plan, the Groupe undertook to maintain a payout ratio of around 45%. The proposed dividend of euro 2.12 per share for the year 2018 reflects this. Up 6%, it represents 44.9% of diluted headline EPS. In 2019, it was initially planned to propose a dividend of euro 2.30 per share, representing a payout ratio of 45.8% of diluted headline earnings per share. However, in view of the global crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, it was decided to reduce the dividend planned for 2019 to euro 1.15 per share.
For 2020, the dividend that will be proposed to the General Shareholders’ Meeting of May 26, 2021 is euro 2.00 per share. As a percentage of diluted headline earnings per share, it represents a payout ratio of 46.8% above the level observed before the pandemic. Subject to the approval of the General Shareholders’ Meeting, payment of the dividend in cash or in shares, at the holder’s choice, will be made on July 6, 2021.
