The Aristocrat Leisure Ltd (ASX: ALL) share price has stormed 8.8% higher following the company's half-year results last week.
This is despite the gaming technology company's shares edging 3.94% lower to $34.40 apiece at yesterday's market close. At the time of writing, the Aristocrat share price was down another 1.05% to $34.04 in Wednesday morning trading.
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A quick breakdown on the Aristocrat half-year result
In the half-year report for the 2022 financial year, Aristocrat reported strong growth across key metrics.
In summary, operating revenue surged by 23.1% to $2,745.4 million over the previous corresponding period. Aristocrat stated the robust result was driven by its outstanding performance in gaming operations and outright sales.
Notably, the improved numbers offset the mixed operational conditions and challenges that the company faced. This included the Russian war in Ukraine, an industry-wide moderation in overall mobile game demand post COVID-19, and ongoing global supply disruptions.
On the bottom line, profit after tax rose to $513 million, up 48.1% from this time last year.
Based on the company's cash profit above, the Aristocrat Board declared a fully franked interim dividend of 26 cents per share. This represents a 73.3% lift from the 15 cents declared in the prior comparable period.
Management noted that cash returns via dividends to shareholders are based on a discretionary dividend policy. Periodic reviews are often conducted to ensure the capital allocation framework is sound and the balance sheet provides strategic optionality.
Here's what you need to do to secure the Aristocrat dividend
The Aristocrat interim dividend will be paid to eligible shareholders around five weeks away on 1 July.
However, to be eligible, you'll need to own Aristocrat shares before the ex-dividend date which falls on 26 May. This means if you want to secure the dividend, you will need to purchase Aristocrat shares today at the latest.
While there is a dividend reinvestment plan (DRP) in place, the board decided to keep it inactive for the interim dividend.
