The Board of Great Portland Estates plc announces a second interim dividend of 5 pence per share to be paid on 1 April 2010 to shareholders who are on the register on 12 March 2010. This brings the total amount of dividend for the year to 31 March 2010 to 8 pence per share or a total payout for the year of £25.0 million, up from £21.7 million for the year to 31 March 2009.
At the time of the rights issue in May 2009 we stated that the total payout for the year to March 2010 would be at least £21.7 million with the potential for an enhanced payment depending upon the timing of, and returns generated from, the deployment of the proceeds of the rights issue. Since then, we have committed 97% of the capital raised in new acquisitions, some of which provide attractive income yields, whilst the remainder are expected to produce good profits over the next few years.
Of the second interim dividend, 2 pence per share will be a REIT property income distribution.