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Next PLC on Friday reported plans for a £421.3 million shareholder return. Rather than issuing a special dividend, the Enderby, Leicester-based clothing and homeware seller has decided on a B share scheme as ‘the most effective’ payout method. The scheme will be priced at 360 pence per share, and requires investor approval at a general meeting on January 15. ‘In reaching this conclusion, the board considered in particular the position of both retail and institutional shareholders and the benefits of completing a capital return within a reasonable timescale,’ Next said. The company’s shares traded 0.2% higher at 13,665.00 pence on Friday morning in London. The stock has risen 40% over the past year. Back in October, Next noted that its share price had exceeded its buyback limit, after booking an 11% annual rise in full-price sales for the third quarter that ended October 25. This was about £76 million ahead of guidance for a 4.5% boost. At the time, the company indicated it would pay a special dividend of roughly £3.10 per share. Following a £16.3 million exceptional profit on the sale of non-operational land in November, it raised expectations for the possible payout to £3.55 per share. Copyright 2025 Alliance News Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
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