Global dividends plunge by $108bn during Covid-19 crisis

Study of world's largest 1,200 companies reveals biggest quarterly drop since records began

• Coronavirus - latest updates
• See all our coronavirus coverage

The amount paid out by big companies to their investors plummeted between April and June as firms cancelled or cut their dividends to conserve cash during the coronavirus pandemic crisis.

Total shareholder payouts made globally slumped by $108.1bn (82.6bn) to $382.2bn, a fall of 22%.