BEIJING, June 1 (Xinhua) -- Cash dividends that Chinese listed firms planned to dish out continued to rise in 2021 as regulators urged listed firms to reward investors.
China's A-share listed firms proposed cash dividends of over 1.5 trillion yuan (about 225 billion U.S. dollars), up 1.4 percent and 13.6 percent compared with actual dividends paid in 2020 and 2019, respectively, the China Association for Public Companies said Wednesday.
So far, a total of 3,170 firms listed on the Shanghai and Shenzhen bourses have disclosed their 2021 plans for dividend payouts to stock investors, rising 4.9 percent year on year, data from the association showed.
The association said that the dividend levels in China are comparable to mature capital markets in the world, as A-share listed firms have become more willing to distribute cash dividends in recent years, and the amount of money paid has also been on a steady rise.
Chinese regulators have long sought to improve cash dividend systems for listed firms. Authorities have enhanced cash dividend decision-making mechanisms and information disclosure requirements, carry out special inspections, and encouraged firms to follow different policy requirements based on their own conditions. ■
