Coal India may announce 20-25% additional dividend for shareholders on 14 June

Kolkata: World’s largest miner Coal India Ltd is expected to reward its shareholders with an additional final dividend of 20-25 percent in its board meeting on 14 June that will declare fourth-quarter financial results, sources said. The miner though failed to achieve targeted production and off take targets for FY21 but it has surpassed the revised capital expenditure target of Rs 13,000 crore. “The board will try declaring another round of dividend but it is expected to be less than two interim dividends of Rs 7.5 and Rs 5 on each share of Rs 10 each,” the sources told PTI. The total interim dividend for FY21 is Rs 12.5 per share and the final dividend could be Rs 2-2.5 per share to make the final total dividend not less than Rs 15 per share, sources indicated. The government will be the largest beneficiary of the dividend as its shareholding stands at 66.13 percent. The fourth-quarter numbers were expected to remain weak according to analysts estimates but stock market participants remained bullish and the stock rose 6.24 percent during the week. Speaking about capex achievement the official said, “Initially the target was Rs 10,000 crore but with the COVID-19 pandemic induced slowdown in the economy the government asked to raise to support the economy. We raised the capex target to Rs 13,000 crore and we have surpassed it.” The capital expenditure for FY21 was at Rs 13,115 crore, a 109 percent rise compared to the previous year’s capex outgo of Rs 6,270 crore. Procurement of heavy earth moving machinery at Rs 3,453 crore topped the list of capex heads for FY21, followed by land at Rs 2,470 crore. Capex in joint ventures, in proportion to CIL’s shareholding, like Talcher Fertilizers Ltd and Hindustan Urvarak & Rasayan Ltd accounted for Rs 2,194 crore. Spending on coal evacuation infrastructure like coal handling plants, silos and constructing sidings amounted for Rs 1,398 crore while construction of rail corridors and railway lines amounted to Rs 1,166 crore.