The Determinants of Dividend Payout: Evidence from Private Banks in Ethiopia

Abstract

The main objective of this study was investigating factors that determine the dividend payout of private commercial banks in Ethiopia under the study period covering from 2009 to 2017. A balanced panel data set from national bank of Ethiopia and ten private commercial banks annual report was used and analyzed through fixed effects panel data regression technique. Dividend payout was used as a dependent variable and the independent variables covered under this study were both bank specific (profitability, leverage, liquidity, size and last year dividend payout) and macroeconomic factors (inflation rate, real GDP growth rate and foreign exchange rate). The finding shows that from bank specific factor; profitability, liquidity, bank size  and last year dividend payout have statistically significant positive effect on dividend payout while leverage shows insignificant positive effect for dividend payout. From macroeconomic variables inflation rate have a positive effect, but the real GDP growth rate, and foreign exchange rate have a negative effect and foreign exchange rate is the only significant macroeconomic factor for dividend payout.The results of this study have delivered some insights on the effects of both bank specific and macroeconomic factor for dividend payout of private commercial banks in Ethiopia and managements and board of directors of those banks need to consider these variables while designing their dividend payout. In addition, government body specially financial sector should have to consider the effct of macroeconomic variables on dividend payout  when they are making a policy about macroeconomic issues.

Keywords: Commercial Banks, Bank Specific determinant, dividend payout and macroeconomic determinants.

DOI: 10.7176/RJFA/12-3-03

Publication date: February 28^th 2021