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Russia's Nornickel board proposes no dividend for 2023 outcomes

The board of Russian metals and mining huge Nornickel advised no dividend on its 2023 outcomes, a year when the company dealt with considerable pressure from sanctions limitations and geopolitical challenges, Nornickel stated on Thursday.

Differences on dividends have actually for years been the main reason for on-and-off rows in between Nornickel's primary owners, President and largest investor Vladimir Potanin and aluminium manufacturer Rusal,.

Moscow-listed shares of Nornickel, the world's largest palladium producer and a major producer of high-grade nickel, traded 0.3% lower on the day, slightly outperforming the broader market.

Potanin's Interros holds a 37% stake in Nornickel, Rusal owns 26.4% and billionaire Roman Abramovich hold around 4%. A. 10-year investor arrangement in between them ended at the end of. 2022.

The board thought about a 2nd dividend proposal, a source. near to the board of directors informed , from Elena. Bezdenezhnykh, deputy head of Rusal, who represents the. aluminium business on Nornickel's board.

Bezdenezhnykh proposed an overall dividend of $500 million,. which the board declined after some discussion, the source said.

Rusal declined to instantly comment when contacted by. .

Nornickel failed to pay dividends on its 2022 results for. the very first time in 14 years, citing unfavorable geopolitics, however. resumed payments for the first 9 months of 2023 and paid $1.5. billion to shareholders in January 2024.

In 2023, sanctions constraints and geopolitical difficulties. put considerable pressure on Nornickel's monetary results, the. business stated in a statement.

The nine-month payment exceeded the company's adjusted free. cash flow for 2023 of $1.3 billion, from which the company. disperses dividends, Nornickel said.

Paying dividends by increasing the financial obligation level is considered. unsuitable, it stated, indicating its dividend policy, which. states that the business needs to take metals costs into account. and ensure that it maintains a high level of creditworthiness.

(source: Reuters)