Samsung Electronics is to pay out 13 trillion won dividend

The unprecedently large dividend of 13 trillion won to be paid out by Samsung Electronics on Friday is garnering attention of the financial industry. 　

According to the Financial Supervisory Service on Tuesday, the company will pay 13.1243 trillion won of dividends to shareholders including extra dividends. It is the largest amount to be paid in history of Korea’s stock market. The dividend includes 354 won for each ordinary share (355 won per preferred stock) and extra dividend of 1,578 won per stock. 　

Some 2.15 million “Donghak ants” who own the company stocks will receive a fat dividend, too. Individual shareholders are estimated to receive some 800 billion won. 　

Foreign investors who own 55 percent of the company’s stocks (ordinary stocks) will receive some 7.74 trillion won for dividends. Samsung president family’s dividend including late chairman Lee Gun-hee’s shares (4.18 percent) amounts to some one trillion won, which would be used to pay an inheritance tax. 　

Financial investment circles project that the dividends would affect the stock market as the largest amount of dividends will be paid out all at once. If foreign investors reinvest their dividend of 7.7 trillion won, KOSPI, which has moving sideways at around 3,100, would find a steppingstone to go up once again.


zion37@donga.com