Asia-Pac dividends up further in Q1, but Singapore let down by Singtel

DIVIDEND payouts from the largest companies in Asia-Pacific have risen 8.1 per cent year-on-year to US$33.9 billion for the first quarter of 2022.

This marks the fourth consecutive quarter of growth, but the momentum masks mixed performances across the region’s key markets – which include Australia, Japan, Singapore, China and Hong Kong – according to a report from asset management firm Janus Henderson published on Tuesday (May 24).

Australia and India were the strongest contributors to growth in the first quarter – which is typically a quiet period for dividends in Asia. Singapore and Hong Kong, on the other hand, had lower payouts in Q1 2022 compared to a year earlier