From Redeia to Airbus: SEPI will collect almost 200 million in dividends from its listed companies this year
Like all February, in recent weeks there have been presentations of economic results by large companies and, with them, the announcements of the long-awaited dividends to be distributed.. Among the large investors that will receive their share is the State Society for Industrial Participations (SEPI), which will raise almost 200 million euros from its listed companies throughout the year in full expansion of its weight in the economy.
Redeia, the former Red Eléctrica, is the main contributor to the public holding company, since, after announcing yesterday that it will distribute one euro of dividend. This will translate into 108 million euros, of which the company already received almost 30 million in an advance payment disbursed by the company chaired by Beatriz Corredor on January 5.
After the manager of the electrical networks, the 4.2% that the entity maintains in Airbus is the second shareholding package that will inject a greater amount, more than 32 million euros, since the 1.8 euros per share that the manufacturer of aircraft has been distributing, another dividend of one additional euro will be added this year.
The six listed companies in which SEPI is present as a shareholder usually distribute dividends. The latest to adopt this trend is Indra, which confirmed yesterday that it will maintain its 0.25 euro dividend for the second consecutive year after returning to the dividend three years ago.. This will translate into around 12 million euros for the 27% that makes him the company's largest shareholder.
Two companies much more accustomed to dividends are Enagás and Ebro Foods. In the case of Enagás, the cut to the dividend will reduce the collection of SEPI, which will still receive another 13 million euros for its 5%.
For its part, Ebro Foods is one of the most aggressive companies in shareholder remuneration and the 0.66 euros per share committed for 2024 will translate into 10 million euros for SEPI, which has 10% of the capital of the company. feeding.
The last unknown is IAG, the aviation group in which SEPI maintains 2.52% and which has not yet presented results.. Last year it distributed 0.145 euros per share, which would mean 18 million euros for the company chaired by Belén Gualda and would make the airline group the third largest net contributor on the list.
AMMUNITION FOR TELEPHONE?
One use that these almost 200 million euros could have would be to use them to partially cover the acquisition of Telefónica.
The amount would be enough to buy a package of shares of around 1% of the company, that is, a tenth of the participation that the State aspires to build through the SEPI…or the future Spanish Society for Transformation Technology (SETT).
This entity, which will mobilize 20,000 million euros of investment from European funds, will form part of the next Council of Ministers and will have as one of its main functions grouping together the State's participation in the telecommunications sector and digital infrastructures and services..
For this reason, the Minister for Digital Transformation and the Public Service, José Luis Escrivá, declared last Monday that “it would make sense” for this new holding company to be the one who had the stake in Telefónica, although he assured that the issue would have to be studied in depth.. “This is something we will see over time.”
OTHER STATE DIVIDENDS
The presence of the public sector in the capital of listed companies is not an anomaly of the SEPI, but extends to other public entities. Thus, the participation of the Fund for Orderly Bank Restructuring (FROB) in CaixaBank will mean income for the State of 506 million euros for its 17.3%.
Above this amount is the other major generator of recurring income for the Administration: Aena. With 51% of the airport manager controlled by Enaire, the increase in the company's dividend after breaking a profit record will translate into almost 575 million euros for the entity dependent on the Ministry of Transport.