United Utilities Group (UU.)

Sector:

Utilities

Index:

FTSE 100

1,022.50p
   
  • Change Today:
    -20.00p
  • 52 Week High: 1,125.00p
  • 52 Week Low: 958.80p
  • Currency: UK Pounds
  • Shares Issued: 681.89m
  • Volume: 2,070,450
  • Market Cap: £6,972m
  • RiskGrade: 118

United Utilities to review dividend after upping payout

By Sean Farrell

Date: Friday 22 May 2020

LONDON (ShareCast) - (Sharecast News) - United Utilities increased its final dividend but said it would review its dividend policy after £56m of Covid-19 costs contributed to a £5m decline in annual operating profit.
Operating profit for the year to the end of March fell to £630.3m from £634.9m as revenue rose to £1.86bn from £1.82bn. Costs related to Covid-19 were £56m including £18.1m of expected bad debts and £37m for losses at the Water Plus joint venture.

The final dividend increased 3.2% to 28.40p a share taking the annual payout to 42.60 from 41.28p a year earlier. The FTSE 100 company said it would review its dividend for the AMP7 regulatory period starting in 2020 when the impact of Covid-19 is clearer.

United Utilities took a charge of £32m for its share of Covid-19-related losses at its Water Plus joint venture with Severn Trent and £5m of expected losses from loans to Water Plus. £18.1m of remaining coronavirus costs was for expected non-payment of bills and £1.1m of costs for the direct response to the pandemic.

Steve Mogford, United Utilities' chief executive, said: We have delivered financial performance that supports the payment of the final dividend in August 2020, in line with our AMP6 commitment.

"The economic implications of Covid-19 will provide a challenging backdrop to the AMP7 regulatory period ... It is, however, too early to predict the full impact of Covid-19 on inflation, the economy more generally and on our business, and we will review our dividend policy for AMP7 as a clearer picture of the post Covid-19 economic environment emerges."

Email this article to a friend

or share it with one of these popular networks:


Note 1: Prices and trades are provided by Digital Look Corporate Solutions and are delayed by at least 15 minutes.

Note 2: RiskGrade figures are provided by RiskMetrics.

 

United Utilities Market Data

Currency UK Pounds
Share Price 1,022.50p
Change Today -20.00p
% Change -1.92 %
52 Week High 1,125.00p
52 Week Low 958.80p
Volume 2,070,450
Shares Issued 681.89m
Market Cap £6,972m
RiskGrade 118

United Utilities Star Ratings

Compare performance with the sector and the market.
more star ratings
Key: vs Market vs Sector
Value
69.48% below the market average69.48% below the market average69.48% below the market average69.48% below the market average69.48% below the market average
66.67% below the sector average66.67% below the sector average66.67% below the sector average66.67% below the sector average66.67% below the sector average
Price Trend
3.65% below the market average3.65% below the market average3.65% below the market average3.65% below the market average3.65% below the market average
14.29% above the sector average14.29% above the sector average14.29% above the sector average14.29% above the sector average14.29% above the sector average
Income
0.13% above the market average0.13% above the market average0.13% above the market average0.13% above the market average0.13% above the market average
20% below the sector average20% below the sector average20% below the sector average20% below the sector average20% below the sector average
Growth
82.45% below the market average82.45% below the market average82.45% below the market average82.45% below the market average82.45% below the market average
100% below the sector average100% below the sector average100% below the sector average100% below the sector average100% below the sector average

What The Brokers Say

Strong Buy 3
Buy 1
Neutral 8
Sell 1
Strong Sell 0
Total 13
neutral
Broker recommendations should not be taken as investment advice, and are provided by the authorised brokers listed on this page.

United Utilities Dividends

  Latest Previous
  Final Interim
Ex-Div 20-Jun-24 21-Dec-23
Paid 01-Aug-24 01-Feb-24
Amount 33.19p 16.59p

Trades for 31-Oct-2024

Time Volume / Share Price
16:39 8,703 @ 1,022.50p
16:39 1,123 @ 1,022.50p
16:39 1,053 @ 1,022.50p
16:35 1,820 @ 1,022.50p
16:35 1,153 @ 1,022.50p

United Utilities Key Personnel

Chair David Higgins
CFO Phil Aspin
CEO Louise Beardmore

Top of Page