The Lloyds Banking Group has a progressive and sustainable ordinary dividend policy whilst maintaining the flexibility to return surplus capital through buybacks or special dividends. The Lloyds Banking Group Board intends to pay down to its capital target within the course of the current plan, by the end of 2024.
In February 2022, the Board decided to return surplus capital in respect of 2021 through a share buyback programme of up to £2 billion. This commenced in February 2022 and completed in October 2022, with c.4.5 billion shares purchased.
Lloyds Banking Group recommended a final ordinary dividend of 1.60 pence per share, which, together with the interim ordinary dividend of 0.80 pence per share totals 2.40 pence per share, an increase of 20 per cent, in line with the Board's commitment to capital returns. The Board has also announced its intention to implement an ordinary share buyback of up to £2.0 billion which will commence as soon as is practicable and is expected to be completed by 31 December 2023. The Board intends to return surplus capital by way of a further buyback programme given the amount of surplus capital, the growth in ordinary dividends and the flexibility that a buyback programme offers. Based on the total ordinary dividend and the intended ordinary share buyback the total capital return in respect of 2022 will be up to £3.6 billion.
