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Bank of England to Pay First Dividend to Treasury Since Pandemic
May 7, 2026 at 4:26 PM UTCThe Bank of England will resume paying a dividend to the UK government as it starts to bring its finances under control.Governor Andrew Bailey judged the UK central bank has built up enough money to make an annual dividend sustainable going forward, according to minutes from a meeting of the court of directors in February.
UK dividends rose 21% in Q1 - MoneyWeek
UK dividends rose by more than a fifth in the first quarter to £16.4 billion kicking off a strong start to the year for income investors, despite short-term uncertainty caused by the conflict in the Middle East.Higher-than-projected numbers were reported for both regular and one-off special dividends during the first three months of 2026, according to investment administration business Computershare’s latest dividend monitor report. Try 6 free issues of MoneyWeek today Get unparalleled financial insight, analysis and expert opinion you can profit from. Start your trial Sign up to Money Morning Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter He said: “The Middle East conflict is likely to place pressure on profits across a number of sectors, reducing the cash available for dividend payouts.”Special dividends dominated payouts in Q1Investors received a ninefold increase in special dividends in Q1 compared with the same period last year, to £3.3 billion.Consumer goods giant Reckitt Benckiser (LON:RKT) accounted for roughly half of that amount as it distributed the proceeds following the sale of Essential Home to a private equity buyer.Similarly, telecommunications services business Zegona Communications (LON:ZEG) paid out £1.2 billion to shareholders following the disposal of its Spanish fibre network joint ventures.Retailer Next (LON:NXT) was the third major special dividend payer, distributing £441 million following higher-than-expected sales, strong online performance and a land sale worth £54 million.Computershare said beyond the contribution of extraordinary payments, a weaker pound also played a part in the numbers beating its projections, resulting in higher-value dollar payments.What sectors paid the highest dividends?At sector level, most categories performed better or in line with Computershare’s projections, with airlines, leisure and travel dominating, including cruise operator Carnival (LON:CCL), which paid its first dividend since the pandemic.The two largest-paying sectors – healthcare and oil – reported 3% and 4% declines on last year’s Q1 numbers, respectively.Both categories raised their per-share dividends in US dollar terms but as the pound weakened during the quarter, it held back the amounts actually returned ...
Bank of England Database
Browse, visualise and export the data series published by the Bank of England Database last updated on 07 May 2026 at 09:30
Bank of England - Financial Times
The latest news and updates from the Bank of England. Extensive coverage and analysis of the BoE's monetary policy decisions and reports, including interest rates and job market data.
