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Industrial property play Property for Industry expects to pay a dividend of 9.50 cents a share for its June year, on the back of the early lease surrender payment at its Harris Road property by GrainCorp Foods. GrainCorp will pay a surrender fee of about $5 million to PFI for its early exit.
The improved shareholder payout is 5% up on February guidance of 9.05c, and 10.5% up on last year's net dividend of 8.60c.
The company also announced a third quarter dividend of 2.20c payable on May 28, inferring a likely final quarter dividend of 2.90c.
The NZX-listed company owns a portfolio of 90 properties at a valuation of about $2 billion. Its share price has climbed 4.7% to a current level of $2.34 over the past 12 months.
The Government finances continue to be in better shape than forecast in the December half-year economic and fiscal update. For the nine months to the end of March the operating balance before gains and losses excluding ACC (Obegalx) recorded a deficit of $7.8 billion, $2.1b smaller than forecast. Once ACC was included the deficit was $8.4b, also $2.1b smaller than forecast. But poor investment returns meant the operating balance was $1.1b larger at $2.9b. The residual cash deficit, however, was smaller than expected and net core Crown debt was $3.4b lower at $187.8b, or 42.2% of GDP. The net worth of the Crown was down $400 million on forecast at $177.2b, largely reflecting the lower-than-expected operating balance.