Dutch pension funds receive €4.9bn in dividends over 11 months
1 September 2008

Written by Sophie Baker

Between April 2007 and March 2008, Dutch pension funds are reported as having received €4.9bn in dividends on quoted shares, according to De Nederlandsche Bank.

Pension fund holdings of these quoted shares averaged at €195bn in that period, which excluded quoted shares held through mutual funds. The Bank said that dividend income is used for two things, either as a major funding source for pension benefits, or for reinvesting.

Dividends on quoted shares are of diverse origin, with more than half of the dividends from European companies, meaning the holdings of the investments are widely spread. The companies from which these dividends were received have registered offices in the UK, France, the Netherlands or Germany. A quarter of the total dividend received by Dutch pension funds in this period of 11 months was paid out by US and Canadian companies.