The Impact of Dividend Policy on the Shareholders Value of Listed Firms in the Nigerian Petroleum Marketing Industry

Abstract

Dividend policy is directed towards establishing the proportion of current income that should be retained in the firm and the proportion that should be distributed among its shareholders. This study, therefore, assessed the impact of dividend policy on the value of listed firms in the Nigerian petroleum marketing industry. six firms, out of eight that are quoted on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) were selected as sample for the study. Data were collected from secondary sources. Annual reports and accounts of the selected firms, daily official lists and facts books of the NSE for the period of 2008-2017 form the source of the data. egression was used in analyzing the data. The findings revealed that payment of dividend by petroleum marketing firms in Nigeria positively influence the market price of their shares. Based on these findings, the study concluded that dividend policy of petroleum marketing firms in Nigeria affects the value of the firms. Based on this conclusion, the study recommends that management need to identify the shareholder’s interest in setting up a dividend policy that would balance their needs and retention for recapitalization to maximize value of the firms.