ABU DHABI- Cash dividends and bonus shares to the tune of AED32.5 billion have been distributed by 79 companies listed at Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange and Dubai Financial Market for Fiscal Year 2016, according to statistics released by the Securities and Commodities Authority, SCA.

Distribution of such big gains goes in line with the listed companies dedication to give investors a trading advantage and positive returns on their equities.

According to SCA figures, 70 companies distributed cash dividends worth AED30.64 billion while four firms granted bonus shares worth AED730.5 million and five firms distributed both cash and bonus shares worth AED1.11 billion.

The banking sector comes on top in terms of the value of dividends, hitting AED17 billion, accounting for 54 percent of total distributions, with the telecommunications sectors accounting for 25.8 percent worth AED7.9 billion.

The property sectors dividends hit AED3.52 billion followed by the insurance sector at AED568 million, the transportation sector at AED561 million, the industrial sector AED533 million, the services sector at AED409 million, the investment sector at AED389 million and the staple commodities at AED189 million.

As per the statistics, 14 banks listed at both markets distributed to the tune of AED16.56 billion.

At the telecommunication s sector, Etisalat distributed AED6.95 billion and du AED952 million.

The insurance companies came on top of in terms of the number of companies distributing cash dividends with a total of AED568 million by 19 companies.



Copyright Emirates News Agency (WAM) 2017.