Shareholders in UK companies saw their dividend payments cut by £10bn last year, according to a report.
UK companies paid out £56.9bn to investors in 2009, 15% less than in 2008, said Capita Registrars.
Investors in the banking sector were the worst hit, said the report, after the industry cut payouts by £6bn from 2008 levels.
It predicted dividends would grow this year but only by 5%, because of a sluggish economic recovery.
Dividends underpin the valuation of shares by stock market investors and are crucial to the financial well-being of millions of people through the investments held by their pension funds.
Pension schemes typically invest in a wide range of assets, some of which are bought primarily in anticipation of their value going up - "capital growth" in the stock market's jargon.
But dividends are vital to ...
NEVADA, USA 01/09/2009 - The well known DNA relationship testing firm , easy DNA Limited, has bolstered its management teams by making new international management and marketing appointments in the face of steadily increasing business to ensure the maintenance of the high standards of service for which the company is renowned.
The newly recruited management staff has past or present experience in the field of DNA testing, and will add to the seven years minimum experience of the existing senior management team in various forms of DNA forensic and relationship testing. The firm operates internationally through sixteen regional offices, and the areas benefiting from the current expansion are Europe, North America and Oceania.
Commented the founder and Director of easyDNA, Andrew Alexander, "It is our objective to offer our customers the highest possible level of service and accuracy of results, and to ...
