C & I Leasing Plc has declared a final dividend of 20 kobo for every ordinary share of 50 kobo, payable to registered shareholders who qualify as of June 1, 2026.
The dividend, for the financial year ended December 31, 2025, is subject to shareholder approval and withholding tax, according to a disclosure filed with the Nigerian Exchange.
Regarding the payment timeline, the company said qualified shareholders will receive the dividend electronically on June 15, 2026, provided they have completed their e-dividend registration.
The proposed 20 kobo dividend is higher than the 10 kobo paid for the 2024 financial year, representing a 100% year-on-year increase.
What the data is saying
According to data from the Nigerian Exchange, the proposed 20 kobo final dividend is valued at approximately N589.7 million, based on the company’s outstanding shares of 2,948,576,945.
- This is higher than the N294.9 million paid for the 2024 financial year, when shareholders received a final dividend of 10 kobo on the same outstanding share count.
Based on the company’s share price of N6.75 before market open on May 19, 2026, the proposed FY2025 dividend translates to a yield of 2.96%.
The payout also represents a dividend payout ratio of 15.08%, supported by a net profit of N3.9 billion for the 2025 financial year, compared with N1.6 billion recorded in 2024.
The growth in profit was driven by stronger top-line performance, as lease income rose to N44.4 billion from N31.07 billion, supported mainly by higher finance lease interest income.
The company also reported N116.03 million in net tracking income, while other operating income of N2.12 billion, largely from miscellaneous activities, supported operating profit to N15.9 billion from N10.1 billion.
On the balance sheet, retained earnings climbed 174.01% year-on-year to N4.7 billion, compared with N1.7 billion recorded in the previous year.
Get up to speed
Building on its FY2025 performance, C & I Leasing Plc delivered a solid start to 2026, recording a pre-tax profit of N532.8 million in Q1, up from N487.9 million in the same period last year.
Again, lease rental income remained the key driver of earnings in the quarter, rising to N11.1 billion from N10.1 billion, reflecting the continued strength of its core leasing operations.
On the balance sheet, total assets expanded to N150.1 billion from N135.5 billion, with operating lease assets at N69.6 billion as the largest contributor.
Meanwhile, total liabilities also increased to N100.5 billion from N89.9 billion, as borrowings rose to N51.2 billion from N47.5 billion.
What you should know
- C & I Leasing Plc shares are currently priced at N6.75, down 1.46% year-to-date on the Nigerian Exchange.
- The company had a solid 2025, delivering an 81.70% return to shareholders, with trading volume surpassing 592 million shares.
- The company’s best year was 2019, when it surged by over 269% on the exchange.
