EINBECK (dpa-AFX) - Shareholders of seed producer KWS Saat will receive a higher dividend. A clear majority of shareholders voted in favor of a higher dividend at the Annual Shareholders' Meeting in Einbeck on Wednesday, the company announced in the afternoon. The profit distribution for the 2022/2023 financial year will therefore increase from 80 to 90 cents per share.

The company had already announced its business figures in September. Accordingly, expectations were exceeded due to good business in all areas. In the financial year to the end of June, the company increased its turnover by 18% to 1.82 billion euros. Earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) climbed by 44 percent to just under 223 million euros.

The key figures exceeded both the company's own forecast and experts' expectations. The bottom line was a profit of 127 million euros, with 29.7 million euros now to be distributed to shareholders as a dividend. In the current financial year, the company expects sales to increase by three to five percent on a comparable basis./xma/DP/ngu