Kingfish shareholders to get special dividend

Kingfish shareholders have Ryman Healthcare, Waste Management and Mainfreight to thank for the investment company fronting up a special dividend.

Chairman Robert Challinor said Kingfish assets grew by 24 per cent in the year to March 31. He said the most significant portion of the additional income was from a special dividend declared by Waste Management as part of its amalgamation with Transpacific Industries Group.

However, 70 per cent gains in the share prices of Ryman and Mainfreight had also boosted company coffers.

Shares in Ryman Healthcare were untraded today at 870c, having hit a year's high of 875c on June 30, while Mainfreight shares hit a year's high of 580 yesterday, after bottoming out at 272c last July.

Mr Challinor said the fully imputed dividend payout would be 2.5cps, paid out in response to "greater than expected dividend income over the past couple of months".

Company assets rose 24 per cent to 158cps in the year to March 31, compared with the share market benchmark increase of 14 per cent.

Core Kingfish holdings include Ryman Healthcare, Freightways, Michael Hill and Pumpkin Patch.

Shares in Kingfish were untraded today, after closing at a year high of 125c yesterday.

- NZPA