GFH Financial Group, a leading regional financial group with major interests in asset management and real estate sectors, has announced that the company's board of directors has won approval from its shareholders for the distribution of 10.11% of the nominal value of all ordinary shares, excluding treasury shares, amounting to up to $100 million.
This is equivalent to $0.0268/BD0.0101/AED0.0984 per share) including the interim cash dividend of $0.0053 that was distributed to shareholders in September last year.
During the Annual General Meeting held at GFH House in Bahrain Financial Harbour, the shareholders also approved a number of key resolutions reflecting the Group’s strong performance and supporting its strategic growth trajectory.
In addition, shareholders approved the transfer of $14.01 million to the statutory reserve, the allocation of $7 million to GFH Foundation and payment of the zakat due on the Group’s shares, and the carry forward of approximately $19.1 million as retained earnings for the coming year.
They also gave the go-ahead for the repurchase of treasury shares not exceeding 10% of the total issued shares, subject to the approval of the Central Bank of Bahrain.
The share buyback aims to attract strategic shareholders, enhance market liquidity and support the Group’s employee share incentive programme, it added.
Speaking at the AGM, CEO Hisham Alrayes said: "The outcomes of this year’s AGM reflect the continued confidence of our shareholders in GFH’s strategy and long-term growth trajectory. The approval of a strong cash dividend reflects the Group’s financial performance and its continued ability to deliver sustainable value to shareholders, while we continue to evolve our banking and investment model, and strengthen our presence across regional and global markets."
"We remain committed to strengthening our financial and governance framework while broadening our base of strategic shareholders and enhancing the liquidity of our shares in the market," he stated.
"Our share-based incentive programmes also play a key role in attracting top talent and driving institutional performance. Through these initiatives, we look forward to building on our achievements and further expanding our investment portfolio across key sectors to support the Group’s growth in the years ahead," he added.
GFH Financial Group currently manages assets and funds valued at $24 billion, including a global investment portfolio spanning the Middle East, Europe and North America, across sectors including logistics, healthcare, education, technology and real estate. Its shares are listed on the Bahrain Bourse, Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange, Boursa Kuwait and Dubai Financial Market.-TradeArabia News Service