CEO: MTS may hold buyback or pay extra dividends

MOSCOW, Mar 12 (PRIME) -- The board of directors of major Russian mobile operator MTS will discuss holding a buyback or paying additional dividends until the May holidays, CEO Alexei Kornya told reporters on Thursday.

“Our financial results enable us to consider an additional return on equity, and this year we’ll consider an increase of share payments either in the form of a buyback or dividends above the dividend policy,” Kornya said.

“We have a dividend policy, the results that seem strong and robust to us. Overall, confident performance makes it possible to ensure a yield to the shareholders above the dividend policy. We’ve done it often, and our dividend policy says that depending on results we can consider an additional return on equity. This year, we’re ready, in addition to the dividends paid in January, to consider another extra payment.”

Under the dividend policy for 2019–2021, the target payment amounts to at least 28 rubles per ordinary share, or 56 rubles per American depositary receipt paid twice a year.

(71.4720 rubles – U.S. $1)

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