According to AJ Bell’s latest Dividend Dashboard, the amount in dividends paid to shareholders is expected to jump by 7% in 2025 to £83.9bn.
However, the average dividend forecasts for 2024 and 2025 remain below the all-time highs of £85.2bn recorded in 2018 (£85.2bn).
Out of all the FTSE 100 companies, ten are expected to pay out 55% of the expected amount for 2024, AJ Bell’s investment director Russ Mould noted, or £42.9bn, “while the top 20 are expected to chip in £56bn, or 71% of the total”.
FTSE 100 firms have already revealed plans for £49.9bn in share buybacks in 2024, down …