As we covered just this morning, it's a big week on the ASX for almost every dividend investor. And that includes owners of Ampol Ltd (ASX: ALD) shares.
This week will see dividends from the likes of Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA), Telstra Group Ltd (ASX: TLS) and Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES) doled out to grateful shareholders. But quite possibly the largest shareholder payment will flow to the owners of Ampol shares.
Last month, Ampol delivered its latest half-year results for the six months ending 31 December. Investors were cheering Ampol's record fuel sales, to be sure. But it was what the company announced in the dividend department that really got chins a-wagging.
Ampol announced a record final dividend of $1.20 a share, fully franked. But it didn't end there. The company also revealed a special dividend payment on top of that (also fully franked), worth an additional 60 cents per share.
That takes Ampol's payout to a whopping $1.80 per share, which is easily the highest payout shareholders have ever enjoyed from the fuel refiner, distributor and retailer.
It certainly beats out last year's final and special dividends, which were worth a combined $1.55 per share. The interim dividend investors received in September last year was worth just 95 cents per share, fully franked.
Unfortunately for anyone just cottoning on to this news, eligibility for new investors for this dividend has now closed. As we warned last month, the ex-dividend date for these payouts came and went on 1 March.
But for eligible shareholders, dividend payday is today. So expect to see that chunky payout arrive in your bank accounts imminently.
Someone with $10,000 worth of Ampol shares today (around 254 shares) can expect to receive approximately $457 in dividend income when this shareholder payment gets cleared.
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Ampol shares snapshot
Ampol shares have been excellent performers in recent months. The company may be down 0.88% so far this Wednesday to $39.41 a share. But year to date in 2024, the Ampol share price remains up a healthy 7.6%. That share price gain stretches to 32% over the past 12 months and to 50.4% over the last five years.
At the current Ampol share price, this ASX 200 energy stock has a market capitalisation of $9.4 billion, with a trailing dividend yield of 6.97% (including special dividends).
