Dividend
Sampo’s dividend policy is to pay a stable and sustainable regular dividend that grows in line with Group’s operating result over time.
According to Sampo’s dividend policy, total annual dividends paid will be at least 70 per cent of Group’s operating result.
Sampo is committed to operating a strong and efficient balance sheet, as defined by the Group’s capital management framework. To enable this, regular dividends can be complemented with distributions of excess capital via share buybacks and/or extra dividends.
Sampo Group’s operating result is defined as follows:
| + | net income |
| - | discontinued operations |
| - | non-controlling interests |
| - | unrealised gains or losses |
| - | effects from changes in discount rates |
| - | non-operational amortisations |
| - | non-recurring items |
Dividends 1988-2023
Dividends paid before the introduction of the Euro are expressed in Finnish markka in the table below.
| Accounting year | Original dividend | Total dividend | Dividend including the splits |
| 2023 | 1.80 EUR | 903,234,153.60 EUR | 1.80 EUR |
| 2022 | 2.60 EUR | 1,320,678,179.60 EUR | 2.60 EUR |
| 2021 | 4.10 EUR | 2,186,371,539.10 EUR | 4.10 EUR |
| 2020 | 1.70 EUR | 944,098,145.00 EUR | 1.70 EUR |
| 2019 | 1.50 EUR* | 833,027,775.00 EUR | 1.50 EUR |
| 2018 | 2.85 EUR | 1,582,752,772.50 EUR | 2.85 EUR |
| 2017 | 2.60 EUR | 1,443,914,810.00 EUR | 2.60 EUR |
| 2016 | 2.30 EUR | 1,288,000,000.00 EUR | 2.30 EUR |
| 2015 | 2.15 EUR | 1,204,000,000.00 EUR | 2.15 EUR |
| 2014 | 1.95 EUR | 1,092,000,000.00 EUR | 1.95 EUR |
| 2013 | 1.65 EUR | 924,000,000.00 EUR | 1.65 EUR |
| 2012 | 1.35 EUR | 756,000,000.00 EUR | 1.35 EUR |
| 2011 | 1.20 EUR | 672,000,000.00 EUR | 1.20 EUR |
| 2010 | 1.15 EUR | 645,474,748.50 EUR | 1.15 EUR |
| 2009 | 1.00 EUR | 561,282,390.00 EUR | 1.00 EUR |
| 2008 | 0.80 EUR | 449,097,912.00 EUR | 0.80 EUR |
| 2007 | 1.20 EUR | 694,237,068.00 EUR | 1.20 EUR |
| 2006 | 1.20 EUR | 692,967,942.00 EUR | 1.20 EUR |
| 2005 | 0.60 EUR | 338,820,309.00 EUR | 0.60 EUR |
| 2004 | 0.20 EUR | 113,156,253.00 EUR | 0.20 EUR |
| 2003 | 1.50 EUR | 831,301,822.50 EUR | 1.50 EUR |
| 2002 | 0.35 EUR | 193,848,853.00 EUR | 0.35 EUR |
| 2001 | 0.75 EUR | 416,717,636.00 EUR | 0.75 EUR |
| 2000 | 8.00 EUR | 888,935,944.00 EUR | 1.60 EUR |
| 1999 | 14.50 FIM | 144,567,614.10 FIM | 0.49 EUR |
| 1998 | 4.80 FIM | 291,840,000.00 FIM | 0.16 EUR |
| 1997 | 3.00 FIM | 182,400,000.00 FIM | 0.10 EUR |
| 1996 | 6.00 FIM | 91,200,000.00 FIM | 0.05 EUR |
| 1995 | 5.00 FIM | 76,000,000.00 FIM | 0.04 EUR |
| 1994 | 4.00 FIM | 60,800,000.00 FIM | 0.03 EUR |
| 1993 | 4.00 FIM | 36,000,000.00 FIM | 0.03 EUR |
| 1992 | - | - | - |
| 1991 | - | - | - |
| 1990 | 2.60 FIM | 23,400,000.00 FIM | 0.02 EUR |
| 1989 | 3.40 FIM | 30,600,000.00 FIM | 0.03 EUR |
| 1988 | 3.00 FIM | 18,000,000.00 FIM | 0.03 EUR |
*In addition, Sampo distributed an extra dividend as Nordea shares. Read more about the extra dividend.
The right to withdraw dividends is valid for three years.
Stock splits
Sampo plc's A share has been split on two occasions. In 1997, the share was split into four shares and in 2001 it was split into five shares.
Frequently asked questions about Sampo's dividend
According to Sampo's dividend policy, Sampo is to pay a basic dividend at a stable and sustainable level, which grows in line with the Group's earnings. According to Sampo's dividend policy, the dividend is at least 70 percent of the Group's operating profit.
Sampo's ex-dividend date varies each year, and it depends on the time of the Annual General Meeting. The ex-dividend date is usually the day after the AGM. After the ex-dividend date, the dividend from any shares traded is paid to the seller of the shares.
The proposal for each year's dividend payment date is made by Sampo's Board of Directors. The dividend payment date is decided at the Annual General Meeting. Usually, the dividend is paid about two weeks after the AGM. In 2024, the dividend was paid to Finnish shareholders on 7 May 2024 and to the SDR holders on 10 May 2024.
For 2023, Sampo distributed a dividend of EUR 1.80 per share, of which the basic dividend was EUR 1.60. Calculated at the closing price of 31 December 2023, the total dividend yield was 4.5 per cent and the basic dividend yield was 4.0 per cent.
Historically, Sampo's dividend yield has hovered around five percent. The basic dividend can be supplemented with returns of excess capital in the form of share buybacks and/or additional dividends.
Sampo does not have any control on the shareholders’ taxation and cannot give detailed tax advice. The Finnish tax authority has published information on taxation of the dividends.
The dividend will be paid to shareholders who own the stock as at the Annual General Meeting date, and thus are registered in the Register of Shareholders as at the record date of the dividend.
Sampo has profiled itself as a dividend company and our shareholders expect us to pay high and stable dividends. In addition, we have a very strong balance sheet, which gives us ability to pay high dividends.
Buybacks have been a tax-efficient way to return excess capital to many institutional and private investors.
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