A view of Times City. Real estate giant VinGroup paid a dividend for its 2014 business, and made an advance for the dividend this year in the form of shares at a combined rate of 25.8 per cent. — Photo ndh

HA NOI (Biz Hub) — Several large companies on the HCM Stock Exchange have spent hundreds to several billions of Vietnamese dong to pay dividend since the beginning of this year.

The major shareholders are upbeat about what they have gained from their positive investments here.

The southern exchange yesterday said August 13 would be the deadline for shareholders of confectionery firm Kinh Do Corp (KDC) to register for the company's special dividend payment of 200 per cent in cash by the end of this month.

This "exceptional" dividend rate will be paid after Kinh Do completes the capital transfer of an 80 per cent stake in Kinh Do Binh Duong Corp, its snack business, to the United States-based confectionery giant Mondelez International Corp.

This deal has brought Kinh Do a profit of almost VND6.6 trillion (US$302.8 million) in the first half of this year. This will help the company to surpass the annual profit target by one per cent.

Kinh Do will spend VND4.7 trillion ($215.6 million) for this payout, at a rate of 200 per cent. Kinh Do Investment Co, its largest shareholder with an 8.37 per cent stake, will collect VND430 billion ($19.7 million). MTV PPL Co Ltd, with an 8.19 per cent stake, will receive VND418 billion ($19.2 million).

Its chairman Tran Kim Thanh, owning just 276,000 KDC shares, will get a little more than VND5.5 billion ($253,200), while his brother Tran Le Nguyen, who is vice-chairman, will collect nearly VND340 billion ($15.6 million) for his 7.19 per cent stake.

Real estate giant VinGroup (VIC) also paid a dividend for its 2014 business, and made an advance for the dividend this year in the form of shares at a combined rate of 25.8 per cent.

VinGroup Chairman Pham Nhat Vuong, the company's largest shareholder who holds more than 423.2 million shares, was given 109.2 million shares, thus raising his stake here to 28.9 per cent by July 22. His wife, Pham Thu Huong, also received an additional 18.8 million shares.

With a current price of about VND43,000 ($1.97) per share, the total value of their dividends was more than VND5.5 trillion ($252.3 million).

Dairy producer Vinamilk's (VNM) shareholders were also happy with a dividend payout of 20 per cent in cash by the end of June. This was the second tranche of a total 40 per cent dividend paid for 2014's business. The company will also make the first payment for 2015's dividend this month at a rate of 40 per cent, also in cash, and pay the bonus shares at a rate of 20 per cent from the increase in equity capital.

State Capital Investment Corp (SCIC), its largest shareholder with more than 450 million shares, will get about VND1.8 trillion ($82.6 million) and more than 90 million bonus shares.

Its former chairwoman Mai Kieu Lien, now CEO and holding more than 2.7 million shares, will receive nearly VND11 billion ($505,000) and 540,000 bonus shares.

This payout, expected to be in early September, will cost Vinamilk about VND4 trillion ($183.5 million).

Noi Bai Cargo Terminal Service (NCT) will also pay a 50 per cent cash dividend this month, half of its total 100 per cent for the whole year. Its largest stakeholder, Vietnam Airline, will receive VND72 billion ($3.3 million) from the coming payout.

Meanwhile, PetroVietnam Drilling and Wells Service Corp (PVD) last month paid more than VND450 billion ($20.6 million) as dividend payout, 15 per cent in cash and 15 per cent in form of shares. PetroVietnam collected nearly VND220 billion ($10.1 million) and 22 million shares. With a current price of about VND44,000 each, the share dividend is valued at VND1 trillion ($45.9 million). — VNS