Maybank’s record dividend pleases – and puzzles – market

THE bumper dividend announced by Malayan Banking Bhd (Maybank), while likely to have brought wide smiles to shareholders, has also raised questions as to why the country's largest bank needs to be so generous when there is no pressure for it to do so. 

Maybank pleasantly surprised the market when it announced on Monday a 35 sen interim dividend comprising a 25 sen tax-exempt component and a 10 sen taxed dividend.