WALLDORF (dpa-AFX) - As expected, Europe's largest software manufacturer SAP wants to pay out less total dividend than in the previous year, but increase the regular distribution. Shareholders of the Dax heavyweight are to receive 2.05 euros per share, according to a statement from the group in Walldorf on Wednesday evening following a resolution by the supervisory board and executive board. Last year, SAP had distributed a total of 2.45 euros. However, 50 cents of that had been a special dividend to mark the company's 50th anniversary. The regular dividend will thus be increased by 10 cents - despite a two-thirds drop in profits in 2022 to 1.7 billion euros.

The payout ratio is thus 140 percent of net profit. With this payout, SAP is thus going well beyond its actual dividend policy, which calls for a payout of at least 40 percent of net profit. Outgoing CFO Luka Mucic had already hinted at an increase in the regular dividend recently. SAP believes that shareholders should participate appropriately in the results of fiscal 2022, the group said on Wednesday evening./men/he