Shares and dividend payments, 2008, preliminary figures

Swedish shareholders, with a total of NOK 9 billion, also received substantial dividends in 2008. Their share of distributed dividends was however less than those paid to their counterparts from the USA and France, who received NOK 18 billion and NOK 11 billion respectively. Shareholders from the Netherlands and Great Britain, with a corresponding sum of approximately NOK 7.5 billion, also received considerable amounts of dividends from Norwegian limited companies.

Dividends to individual shareholders also increased

Almost every other individual who owned shares in Norwegian limited companies received dividends in 2008. Individual shareholders resident in Norway were paid dividends of over NOK 22 billion and capital reductions of NOK 6 billion. As in 2007, men got the largest portion of the distributions in 2008, taking a total of NOK 23 billion.

Norwegian corporations owned the most

Share capital in Norwegian limited companies totalled NOK 712 billion in 2008. With NOK 465 billion or 65 per cent of the share capital, Norwegian corporations owned the most. Foreign shareholders owned 14 per cent, households 12 per cent, and the general government 8 per cent of share capital in Norwegian limited companies. Of the foreign owners, Swedes, with almost a quarter of the foreign share capital, were the biggest. They were followed by shareholders from Great Britain, who owned 11 per cent, shareholders from France, the USA, and Denmark, who owned about 8 per cent respectively.

Tables:

• Table 1 Nominal share capital, received dividends and received previously paid in share capital and share premium, by receiving sector. NOK million
• Table 2 Individuals who owned shares, nominal share capital, received dividends and received previously paid in share capital and share premium, by sex and age
• Table 3 Nominal share capital and received dividends for foreign shareholders, by selected countries. NOK million