Micro Determinants of Dividend Policy in Quoted Manufacturing Companies in Nigeria

Abstract

This study examined the factors that determine dividend policy of quoted manufacturing firms in Nigeria. The general purpose is to examine factors that affect dividend policy of the quoted firms. After exhaustive literature review, cross sectional data was sourced from financial statement of twenty quoted manufacturing firms. Dividend payout rate was proxy for dividend policy while growth opportunities, liquidity, management efficiency, profit level, cost of capital, company size and debt equity ratio were proxy for independent variables. The study applied the Pooled Ordinary Least Square (OLS), fixed effect, and random effect regression models using the e-view statistical package. Findings reveal that growth opportunities, profit level, management efficiency and debt equity ratio have negative effect on dividend payout ratio while liquidity, cost of capital and company size have positive effect on dividend payout ratio of the manufacturing firms. We conclude that liquidity cost of capital and company size significantly determine dividend policy while growth opportunities, management efficiency, profit level and debt equity ratio have no significant effect on dividend policy. The study recommends among others, that managers/consultants should carefully examine the economic factors within a firm’s operating environment when carrying out the functions of developing or designing dividend policy for the firm.