Bouleversee wrote:When the boss says they have made so much money they don't know what to do with it and when most pensioners will be finding it hard to pay their energy food and other bills and when there is a windfall tax threatened and rocketing inflation , I should have thought that these were exceptional circumstances and a somewhat more generous dividend would be appropriate. I am not a HYP or any other type; I adjust to the circumstances and since all the things I have been unable to buy and get fitted during Covid have now rocketed in price and installation costs I am very conscious that for those with fewer savings it must be a nightmare. My own fixed rate annuity is no longer a comfort and the rise in state pension is derisory. Of course, if you are still working and raking it in, your viewpoint will be somewhat different.
One point is of course that ‘most pensioners’ are unlikely to hold shares in BP so increasing the dividend is not going to help them much. As has been said, pensioners who do hold shares in BP would probably prefer a so called progressive dividend rather than one which moves up and down with the oil price. Besides, as has been argued before, reducing the number of shares in issue helps to increase the dividend per share.
Dod