Profitability Of Dividend Payers

Most of the firms are looking for profits as their main objective which make them develops strategies to get the target profit. In circumstances that firms get the target profit, then normally they shall distribute the earnings as dividends to shareholders. The objective of this study is to provide an empirical finding about profitability between firms namely higher dividend payers and lower dividend payers. This study uses data of listed firms in period of 2010 to 2016 which drawn from Indonesia Stock Exchange. This study uses 146 listed firms in period of 2010 to 2016 which gives 1022 as total observe data. In term of hypothesis testing, this study uses mean difference test. This study finds that firms with higher dividends have better profitability rather than the lower which means this study accepts the hypothesis that higher dividend payers have better profitability

The motives behind dividend policy

The puzzle for dividend policy in Indonesia is still remain since the firms have uncertain distribution for dividends to their shareholders. The objectives of this study are testing the free cash flow theory, life cycle theory, and catering theory with 139 firms as samples which is listed in Indonesia Stock Exchange for period of 2010 to 2015. This study finds that, firms in Indonesia are not at mature level and there is an existence for free cash flow effect on dividend payers with lower debt only, while catering effect is generally exist for firms as dividend payers. Furthermore, since the firms as non dividend payers are on growth level then they are generally use their profit and capital gain includes debts in purposes of investment activities.peer-reviewe

Dividend Policy of the ISE Industrial Corporations: The Evidence Revisited (1986-2007)

The study aims to find out whether the disappearing dividends, the decline in the number of dividend payers, the size effect and the increasing dividend/earnings concentration found in several developed and emerging markets exist among the industrials traded in the ISE. The study also analyzes the effects of the reinstatement of mandatory dividend policy in 2003. Using univariate statistical tests, we detect a size effect as well as a high level but stable dividend/ earnings concentration. We find a significant decrease in the number of dividend payers, but we also detect an increasing level of real/nominal dividends driven by the high dividend/ earnings concentration and the increasing level of earnings. The reinstatement of the mandatory dividend policy regulation in 2003 has not been successful in changing the payout policy of industrialsDividends,Payout Policy, Disappearing Dividends, Dividend Types, Mandatory Dividend Policy, Concentration, Size Effect

The Role of Dividend Policy in Real Earnings Management

Given the importance of historical dividend policy to firms, I investigate whether dividend payers manipulate earnings through real activities to smooth dividend levels and dividend payout ratios. Using Compustat’s Execucomp database, I find evidence that dividend policy impacts both upward and downward real earnings management. I find that payers manipulate earnings upward through real activities to mitigate the shortfall of pre-managed earnings relative to prior year dividends when pre-managed earnings are lower than dividends paid in the prior year, suggesting that dividend levels are an important earnings benchmark. I document a stronger relationship between changes in pre-managed earnings and real earnings management for payers than for non-payers, suggesting that dividend policies impact real earnings management. Consistent with the importance of dividend policy in real earnings management, I show that dividend payers that follow conservative dividend policies manipulate earnings to a greater extent than dividend payers that do not follow conservative dividend policies

Not paying dividends? A decomposition of the decline in dividend payers

Current payout policy literature contends that firms’ propensity to pay dividends declined between 1978 and 1998. Using the Oaxaca decomposition methodology, we measure changes in the propensity to pay dividends between 1978 and 1998. Results suggest that firms today have only a slightly lower propensity to pay dividends. Furthermore, when we also categorize firms that use stock repurchases as dividend payers, we find that 100% of the decline in the proportion of dividend payers can be explained by changes in firm characteristics only. The difference is that firms that firms are now repurchasing stock instead of paying dividends

Not paying dividends? A decomposition of the decline in dividend payers

Current payout policy literature contends that firms’ propensity to pay dividends declined between 1978 and 1998. Using the Oaxaca decomposition methodology, we measure changes in the propensity to pay dividends between 1978 and 1998. Results suggest that firms today have only a slightly lower propensity to pay dividends. Furthermore, when we also categorize firms that use stock repurchases as dividend payers, we find that 100% of the decline in the proportion of dividend payers can be explained by changes in firm characteristics only. The difference is that firms that firms are now repurchasing stock instead of paying dividends

Prospensity to pay dividend : testing for life cycle and free cash flow theories

The purpose of this study is to provide evidences in context of life cycle and free cash flow theories. The study examines the potential factors of firms to pay dividend by conducting logistic regression with sample of 138 firms listed in Indonesia Stock Exchange for period 2010 till 2015. The result of analysis shows that dividend payers generally are firms at mature stage which is consistent with life cycle theory. Also, these mature firms normally are larger firms, more profitable, higher earnings, higher debt and diminish for investment opportunities. In addition, the higher debt for dividend payers indicates the existence of free cash flow effects.peer-reviewe

THE CAPITAL and CASH FLOW SOURCES and USES of INITIAL STOCK REPURCHASE FIRMS

This study investigates the capital sources and uses of firms that are conducting stock repurchase transactions for the first time, both prior and subsequent to those financial operations. We hypothesize that this capital and cash flow analysis may shed some light about the relative importance of some financial motivations and theoretical hypotheses in explaining initial stock repurchases. In particular, our findings support the risk reduction signaling and the dividends substitution hypotheses as the primary drivers for the initial stock repurchase decision. We also find that the importance of the most theoretical explanations and financial motivations vary according to whether initial repurchase firms are also conducting acquisitions and significant divestitures, distributing cash dividends, relying on external financing and using debt or cash reserves.Stock Repurchases, Initial Stock Repurchases; Sources of Financing; Cash Flow Distribution.

Dividend Taxes and Corporate Behavior: Evidence from the 2003 Dividend Tax Cut

This paper analyzes the effects of dividend taxation on corporate behavior using the large tax cut on individual dividend income enacted in 2003. Using data spanning 1980 to 2004-Q2, we document a sharp and widespread surge in dividend payments following the tax cut, along several dimensions. First, an unprecedented number of firms initiated regular dividend payments after the reform. As a result, the number of publicly traded firms paying dividends, after having declined continuously for more than two decades, began to increase precisely in 2003. Second, many firms that were already paying dividends prior to the reform raised regular dividend payments significantly. Third, special dividends also rose. All of these effects are robust to introducing controls for profits and other firm characteristics. Additional evidence for specific groups of firms suggests that the tax cut induced increases in total payout rather than substitution between dividends and repurchases. The tax response was confined to firms with lower levels of forecasted growth, consistent with an improvement in capital allocation efficiency. The response to the tax cut was strongest in firms with strong principals whose tax incentives changed (presence of large taxable institutional owners or independent directors with large share holdings), and in firms where agents had stronger incentives to respond (large executive ownership and low levels of executive stock-options outstanding). These findings show that principal-agent issues play a central role in corporate responses to taxation.

Why Do U.S. Firms Hold So Much More Cash Than They Used To?

The average cash to assets ratio for U.S. industrial firms increases by 129% from 1980 to 2004. Because of this increase in the average cash ratio, American firms at the end of the sample period can pay back their debt obligations with their cash holdings, so that the average firm has no leverage when leverage is measured by net debt. This change in cash ratios and net debt is the result of a secular trend rather than the outcome of the recent buildup in cash holdings of some large firms. It is concentrated among firms that do not pay dividends. The average cash ratio increases over the sample period because the cash flow of American firms has become riskier, these firms hold fewer inventories and accounts receivable, and the typical firm spends more on R&D. The precautionary motive for cash holdings appears to explain the increase in the average cash ratio.