German firms pay out $82.2 billion as dividends

BERLIN – Companies listed on German stock exchanges paid out a record €75 billion ($82.2 billion) in dividends last year – exceeding 2021’s record by 9% – despite a tough economic climate, according to two stock exchange watcher groups.

Calculations released on Thursday by the German Association for the Protection of Stockholders (DSW) and the Institute for Strategic Finance at the FOM University of Applied Sciences, showed that the top companies listed on the DAX exchange profited the most.

The 40 top companies in Germany’s top stock market paid out an estimated total of €52.5 billion. According to the data, the three carmakers Mercedes Benz, BMW and Volkswagen alone paid out a total of about €15.5 billion to their shareholders.

The study said 27 companies are increasing their dividends.

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In the MDAX, only just under half of the 50 companies are paying out more than last year. However, the rise of heavyweights such as Airbus from the MDAX to the DAX was also a factor.

In the SDAX, which lists smaller companies than the MDAX, shareholders of only 24 of the 70 companies received more money. At 19 companies the shareholders went empty-handed.

Shareholder participation in profits is decided at the general meeting and paid for the past financial year. This year, shareholders of the 644 listed companies analysed will receive the dividend for the 2022 financial year.