Last checked at 
8 Feb 2017 10:43
8 February 2017
WITAN INVESTMENT TRUST PLC
Payment of a Fourth Interim Dividend
Witan Investment Trust plc hereby announces that a fourth interim dividend of 6.25p per ordinary share of 25p, in respect of the year ended 31 December 2016, will be paid on Friday 31 March 2017 to shareholders registered at the close of business on Friday 3 March 2017 (the ex-dividend date will be Thursday 2 March). Taken together with the three interim dividends of 4.25p each paid in June, September and December 2016, this makes a total dividend payment of 19.0p in respect of 2016 (2015: 17.0p). This is an increase of 11.8%, more than 10% ahead of the 1.6% rise in the consumer price index in the year to December 2016. The dividend is fully covered by the Company's 2016 revenue earnings per share (subject to finalisation of the Annual Results for 2016).
The Board's policy is that the first three interim dividends of the current financial year (in June, September and December 2017) will, in the absence of unforeseen circumstances, be paid at the rate of one quarter of the total payment in respect of the previous year. Accordingly, in the absence of unforeseen circumstances, the Company expects the first interim dividend in respect of 2017 to be 4.75p (2016: 4.25p).
The Board has declared a fourth interim dividend instead of a final dividend, in order to ensure that, as in previous years, the distribution is made before 5 April.
The Company's policy is that it intends (subject to market conditions) to grow the dividend in real terms, ahead of inflation. The Company has increased its dividend each year since 1974, making 2016 the 42nd consecutive year of increases in the dividend.
For further information please contact:
Andrew Bell, Chief Executive Officer
Witan Investment Trust plc
Tel: 020 7227 9770
Andrew.bell@witan.co.uk
Hannah Philp, Director of Marketing
Witan Investment Trust plc
Tel: 020 7227 9770
Hannah.philp@witan.co.uk