FRANKFURT (dpa-AFX) - Deutsche Beteiligungs AG intends to pay a lower dividend for the past financial year 2022/23 than analysts had expected. For the financial year that ended in September, the distribution per share is to be increased by 20 cents to one euro compared to the previous year, as the company surprisingly announced in Frankfurt on Monday evening. However, this is less than experts had previously expected. According to the company, the average estimate was 1.26 euros. The news led to price losses on the stock exchange.

The company's announcement that it would pay at least one euro per share in direct profit sharing in future did nothing to change this. The payout had fluctuated significantly in recent years. The dividend for 2021/22 was just 80 cents; the year before it was 1.60 euros. For 2019/20, on the other hand, it was again only 80 cents. "In addition, the possibility of share buybacks will be considered more regularly in the future," it said.

The company also announced the key figures for the past financial year on Monday evening. According to the figures, consolidated net profit amounted to around 106 million euros and was therefore in the upper half of the forecast range of 85 to 115 million euros, as announced in the summer. The Group had suffered a loss in 2021/22. The net asset value as at September 30 amounted to around 669 (previous year: 574) million euros. This large figure is therefore also in the upper half of the forecast range, as announced.

The SDax-listed share lost 3.6 percent to 27.90 euros late Tuesday morning. This means that the share is now back at the level seen at the beginning of the year. The SDax gained ten percent during this period.

The company invests in medium-sized companies and, according to its own information, holds more than 400 investments. Deutsche Beteiligungs AG is currently valued at just over half a billion euros on the stock exchange. According to the company, the largest shareholder with more than 25 percent is Rossmann Beteiligungs AG./zb/men/jha/