A first interim dividend of 14.5 US cents per ordinary share will be paid on 31 January 2020 to shareholders on the register at the close of business on 3 January 2020 and is not included as a liability in these condensed half-yearly financial statements. The announced dividend payment of 14.5 US cents per ordinary share is a gross amount. The first interim dividend for the six months ended 30 September 2018 was 14.0 US cents per ordinary share and the total dividend per ordinary share for the year ended 31 March 2019 was 46.5 US cents with a total full year cost of US$420m.
Other financial highlights include:
o Q2 organic revenue growth of 7% and H1 organic revenue growth of 7%.
o B2B organic revenue growth of 6%.
o Consumer Services organic revenue growth of 11% with rapidly growing new product portfolio.
o Benchmark EBIT (ongoing activities) growth at constant rates of 6%.
o Benchmark EBIT margin of 26.9%, down 50 basis points at both constant rates and actual rates, including one-off launch costs for Experian Boost.
o Benchmark EPS growth of 3% at constant rates.
