Dividend payments from UK companies up ‘over a fifth’ on last year

The FT headline reports that dividend payments from UK companies rose “over a fifth” year‑on‑year. Higher aggregate dividends typically boost the appeal of UK equities to income and value investors, supporting demand for the UK market and potentially underpinning the UK 100 index. Stronger payouts can also improve total return prospects and may prompt inflows into dividend-focused strategies and ETFs tracking UK large‑caps. The article is behind a paywall, so further details (sector breakdown, exact percentage, drivers and timing) are not available from the provided content.