NZX to quadruple shares on issue, tweak dividends

NZX plans to quadruple shares on issue, amend dividend policy

Dec. 7 (BusinessWire) – NZX Ltd., one of the best performers on its own bourse this year, plans to quadruple its shares on issue via a split and base its dividend policy on operating earnings rather than net profit.

The share split, set to occur after the close of trading on Dec. 21, will increase the number of shares on issue to 123 million from 30.7 million, NZX said in a statement.

The split “reflects a desire by the NZX board to bring the share price into line with the average NZX 50 share prices” and follows calls from NZX retail shareholders, it said.

The stock exchange operator has expanded and transformed itself since listing in 2003, diversifying its businesses to reduce reliance on listing fees, and expanding into agricultural and energy data and media. As a result of the changes, it is “no longer appropriate” to base dividend payments on 60% of net income “given the non-cash financial asset changes in valuation” impacting on profit, it said.

Instead, NZX will switch to basing payments to shareholders on operating earnings and announcing dividends as cents per share.

On that basis, the final dividend for 2009, post the split, will be 6.5 cents, amounting to 60% of expected operating earnings, it said. Dividends will continue to be fully imputed.

Shares of NZX climbed 1.4% to $8.01 today and have gained about 45% this year, outpacing the NZX 50’s 15% advance.

(BusinessWire)

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