Journal Screenshot

International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences

Open Access Journal

ISSN: 2222-6990

Determinants of Dividend Policy: Evidence from Malaysian Public Listed Companies

Amirah Zawani Wakhi Anuar, Mohd Nizal Haniff, Mohd Afiq Azero

http://dx.doi.org/10.6007/IJARBSS/v13-i4/16602

Open access

Dividend policy has become one of the important issues in any corporation since it relates to investment and financing decisions that a firm makes. It is crucial for a firm to build a strong understanding of dividend policy as corporate dividend policy gives a huge impact on a firm’s decision in key areas such as capital budgeting, asset pricing, mergers and acquisitions, and capital structure. The aim of this study is to examine the factors that will determine dividend policy decisions made by public listed companies in Malaysia. Among the variables included in this study are leverage, liquidity, profitability, firm size and corporate tax. Quantitative research method was chosen for this study and eighty-three (83) public listed companies in Malaysia were selected as a sample size based on annual data during 2013-2017. Multiple regression analysis was used to test research hypotheses. Other tests including Diagnostic test, Normality test, Multicollinearity test, Autocorrelation test, and Pearson’s Correlation coefficient analysis were also conducted in this study. The findings revealed that leverage and liquidity which were measured by debt to equity ratio and current ratio, respectively, have insignificant impact on dividend policy which was measured by dividend payout ratio. This study also provide new insights into profitability, tax, and firm size which were measured by return on equity (ROE), corporate tax, and ln(total assets) have a significant positive relationship with dividend policy. Future research on the determinants influencing dividend policy may take governance structure types into account. This is owing to the fact that businesses operate in various governance systems with varying types and histories in various industries and nations, which may result in varying representations of dividend policy.

Abbas, A., & Ameer, M. S. (2017). Determinants of Dividend Policy in Services Industry of China Determinants of Dividend Policy in Services Industry of China. International Journal of Business, Economics and Management Works, 4(11), 20–23. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.1063975
Abor, J., & Bokpin, G. A. (2010). Investment opportunities, corporate finance, and dividend payout policy: Evidence from emerging markets. Studies in Economics and Finance, 27(3), 180–194. https://doi.org/10.1108/10867371011060018
Agyemang, E. B. (2013). Determinants of Dividend Payout Policy of listed Financial Institutions in Ghana. Research Journal of Finance and Accounting, 4(7), 2222–2847. https://doi.org/10.2298/PAN1306725N
Al-khadhiri, A., & Alzomaia, T. S. (2013). Determination of Dividend Policy: The Evidence from Saudi Arabia. International Journal of Business and Social Science, 4(1), 181–192.
Al-Kuwari, D. (2009). Determinants of The Dividend Policy in Emerging Stock Exchanges?: The Case of GCC Countries. Global Economy & Finance Journal, 2(2), 38–63.
Allen, F., & Michaely, R. (1995). Dividend policy. Handbooks in Operation Research and Management Science, 9, 793–837. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0927-0507(05)80069-6
Arif, A., & Akbar, F. (2013). Determinants of Dividend Policy?: A Sectoral Analysis from Pakistan. International Journal of Business and Behavioral Sciences, 3(9), 16–33.
Bostanci, F., Kadioglu, E., & Sayilgan, G. (2018). Determinants of Dividend Payout Decisions: A Dynamic Panel Data Analysis of Turkish Stock Market. International Journal of Financial Studies, 6(93), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijfs6040093
Botoc, C., & Pirtea, M. (2014). Dividend payout-policy drivers: Evidence from emerging countries. Emerging Markets Finance and Trade, 50(4), 95–112. https://doi.org/10.2753/REE1540-496X5004S407
Bursa Malaysia. (2018). Retrieved from http://www.bursamalaysia.com
Chay, J. B., & Suh, J. (2009). Payout policy and cash-flow uncertainty. Journal of Financial Economics, 93(1), 88–107. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfineco.2008.12.001
Dahlquist, M., Robertsson, G., & Rydqvist, K. (2014). Direct evidence of dividend tax clienteles. Journal of Empirical Finance, 28, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jempfin.2014.05.003
Deangelo, H., & Deangelo, L. (2006). The irrelevance of the MM dividend irrelevance theorem. Journal of Financial Economics, 79(2), 293-315. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfineco.2005.07.005
Dufour, J. M., & Dagenais, M. G. (1985). Durbin-Watson tests for serial correlation in regressions with missing observations. Journal of Econometrics, 27(3), 371–381. https://doi.org/10.1016/0304-4076(85)90012-0
Eng, S., Yahya, M., & Hadi, A. (2013). The Dividend Payout Policy – A Comparison On Malaysian Islamic And Conventional Financial Institutions. Journal of WEI Business and Economics, 2(2), 12–20.
Epaphra, M., & Nyantori, S. S. (2018). Analysis of the determinants of dividend policy?: Evidence from manufacturing companies. Institute of Accountancy Arusha, (February), 1–24. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.10291.94244
Ethel, I. C., Okwo, M., & Inyiama, O. I. (2015). Dividend Payout Policy Determinants of Selected Listed Brewery Firms in Nigeria: A Meta-Analysis (2000–2013). European Journal of Business, Economics and Accountancy, 3(3), 101–118.
Gill, A., Biger, N., & Tibrewala, R. (2010). Determinants of Dividend Payout Ratios: Evidence from United States. The Open Business Journal, 3, 8–14. https://doi.org/10.2174/1874915101003010008
Gordon, M. J. (1962). The Savings Investment and Valuation of a Corporation. The Review of Economics and Statistics, 44(1), 37–51. https://doi.org/doi:10.2307/1926621
Gusni. (2017). The Determinants of Dividend Policy?: A Study of Financial Industry in Indonesia. Jurnal Keuangan Dan Perbankan, 21(4), 562–574.
Gul, S., Mughal, S., Bukhari, S. A., & Shabir, N. (2012). The Determinants of Corporate Dividend Policy: An Investigation of Pakistani Banking Industry. European Journal of Business and Management, 4(12), 1–5.
Hashemijoo, M., Ardekani, A. M., & Younesi, N. (2012). The Impact of Dividend Policy on Share Price Volatility in the Malaysian Stock Market. Journal ?f Business Studies Quarterly, 4(1), 111–129.
Ho, H. (2003). Dividend policies in Australia and Japan. International Advances in Economic Research, 9(2), 91–100. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02295710
Hosain, Z. (2016). Determinants of the Dividend Payout Policy?: A Study on Listed Private Commercial Banks of Dhaka Stock Exchange Limited in Bangladesh. Journal of Economics and Finance, 7(5), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.9790/5933-0705040110
Inland Revenue Board of Malaysia. (2017). Taxation of Real Estate Investment Trust or Property Trust Fund (Third Edit). Inland Revenue Board of Malaysia.
Jabbouri, I. (2016). Determinants of corporate dividend policy in emerging markets: Evidence from MENA stock markets. Research in International Business and Finance, 37(May), 283–298. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ribaf.2016.01.018
Jensen, M. C., & Meckling, W. H. (1976). Theory of the Firm: Managerial Behavior, Agency Costs and Ownership Structure. Journal of Financial Economics, 3(4), 305–360. https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0304-405X(76)90026-X
Kapoor, S., Anil, K., & Misra, A. (2010). Dividend policy determinants of Indian FMCG sector: A factorial analysis. Journal of Modern Accounting and Auditing, 6(9), 50–64.
Ka?mierska-Jó?wiak, B. (2015). Determinants of Dividend Policy: Evidence from Polish Listed Companies. Procedia Economics and Finance, 23, 473–477. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2212-5671(15)00490-6
Khan, N. U., Jehan, S. Q. U. A., & Shah, A. (2017). Impact of taxation on dividend policy: Evidence from Pakistan. Research in International Business and Finance, 42, 365–375. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ribaf.2017.07.157
Komrattanapanya, P., & Suntraruk, P. (2013). Factors Influencing Dividend Payout in Thailand: A Tobit Regression Analysis. International Journal of Accounting and Financial Reporting, 3(2), 255–268. https://doi.org/10.5296/ijafr.v3i2.4443
Kuzucu, N. (2015). Determinants of Dividend Policy: A Panel Data Analysis for Turkish Listed Firms. International Journal of Business and Management, 10(11), 149. https://doi.org/10.5539/ijbm.v10n11p149
Lintner, J. (1956). Distribution of Incomes of Corporations Among Dividens , Retained Earnings , and Taxes. The American Economic Review, 46(2), 97–113.
Mahdzan, N. S., Zainudin, R., & Shahri, N. K. (2016). Interindustry dividend policy determinants in the context of an emerging market. Economic Research-Ekonomska Istrazivanja, 29(1), 250–262. https://doi.org/10.1080/1331677X.2016.1169704
Maldajian, C., & El Khoury, R. (2014). Determinants of the Dividend Policy: An Empirical Study on the Lebanese Listed Banks. International Journal of Economics and Finance, 6(4), 240–256. https://doi.org/10.5539/ijef.v6n4p240
Masulis, R. W., & Trueman, B. (1988). Corporate investment and dividend decisions under differential personal taxation. The Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, 23(4), 369–385. https://doi.org/10.2307/2331077
Mehta, A. (2012). An Empirical Analysis of Determinants of Dividend Policy - Evidence from the UAE Companies. Global Review of Accounting and Finance, 3(1), 18–31.
Miller, M. H., & Modigliani, F. (1961). Dividend Policy, Growth and the Valuation of Shares. The Journal of Business, 34(4), 411–433. https://doi.org/10.1086/521238
Miller, M. H., & Rock, K. (1985). Dividend Policy under Asymmetric Information. The Journal of Finance, 40(4), 1031–1051. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6261.1985.tb02362.x
Mui, Y. T., & Mustapha, M. (2016). Determinants of Dividend Payout Ratio: Evidence from Malaysian Public Listed Firms. Journal of Applied Environmental and Biological Sciences, 6(March), 48–54.
Myers, S. C., & Majluf, N. S. (1984). Corporate financing and investment decisions when firms have information that investors do not have. Journal of Financial Economics, 13(2), 187–221. https://doi.org/10.1016/0304-405X(84)90023-0
Al?Malkawi, N. H. (2007). Determinants of Corporate Dividend Policy in Jordan: An Application of the Tobit Model. Journal of Economic and Administrative Sciences, 23(2), 44–70. https://doi.org/10.1108/10264116200700007
Nuhu, E. (2014). Revisiting the Determinants of Dividend Payout Ratios in Ghana. International Journal of Business and Social Science, 5(8), 230–238.
Osborne, J. W., & Waters, E. (2002). Four assumptions of multiple regression that researchers should always test. Practical Assessment, Research and Evaluation, 8(2), 1. https://doi.org/http://pareonline.net/getvn.asp?v=8&n=2
Pratap, B., Thakur, S., & Kannadhasan, M. (2018). Determinants of dividend payout of Indian manufacturing companies A quantile regression approach. Journal of Indian Business Research, 10(4), 364–376. https://doi.org/10.1108/JIBR-02-2018-0079
Rafique, M. (2012). Factors Affecting Dividend Payout?: Evidence From Listed Non-Financial Firms of Karachi Stock Exchange. Business Management Dynamics, 1(11), 76–92.
Rozeff, M. S. (1982). Growth, Beta and Agency Costs As Determinants of Dividend Payout Ratios. Journal of Financial Research, 5(3), 249-259. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-6803.1982.tb00299.x
Shah, S. Z. A., Ullah, W., & Hanain, B. (2011). Impact of ownership sturcture on dividend policy of firm (Evidence from Pakistan). 2010 International Conference on E-Business, Management and Economics, 3, 22–26.
Sinabutar, A., & Nugroho, A. B. (2015). Dividend Payout Ratio in Indonesian Consumer Goods Industry?: Panel Analysis and Determinant Factors in 2004-2013. Journal of Business and Management, 4(4), 453–464.
Tahir, M., & Mushtaq, M. (2016). Determinants of Dividend Payout: Evidence from listed Oil and Gas Companies of Pakistan. The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business, 3(4), 25–37. https://doi.org/10.13106/jafeb.2016.vol3.no4.25
Takmaz, S. (2017). Dividend Policy Drivers in Turkish Listed Firms. International Journal of Academic Value Studies (Javstudies JAVS), 3(16), 40–52. https://doi.org/10.23929/javs.579
Taleb, G. Al. (2012). Measurement of Impact Agency Costs Level of Firms on Dividend and Leverage Policy?: An Empirical Study. Interdisciplinary Journal of Contemporary Research in Business, 3(10), 234–244.
Thirumagal, P. G., & Vasantha, S. (2016). Dividend policy on shareholders wealth-evidences from Indian pharmaceutical industry. Indian Journal of Science and Technology, 9(15). https://doi.org/10.17485/ijst/2016/v9i15/90568
Thirumagal, P. G., & Vasantha, S. (2017). Dividend Payout Determinants?: Evidence from Indian Industries. International Journal of Pure and Applied Mathematics, 117(21), 811–829.
Tsuji, C. (2010). What Are The Determinants Of Dividend Policy? The Case Of The Japanese Electrical Appliances Industry. Business and Economics Journal, 1(1), 1–16.
Yegon, C., Cheruiyot, J., & Sang, J. (2014). Effects of Dividend Policy on Firm’s Financial Performance: Econometric Analysis of Listed Manufacturing Firms in Kenya. Research Journal of Finance and Accounting, 5(12), 136–144.
Yiadom, E. M., & Agyei, S. K. (2011). Determinants of Dividend Policy of Banks in Ghana. International Research Journal of Finance and Economics, 61(61), 99-108.
Yusof, Y., & Ismail, S. (2016). Determinants of dividend policy of public listed companies in Malaysia. Review of International Business and Strategy, 26(1), 88–99. https://doi.org/10.1108/RIBS-02-2014-0030
Zameer, H., Rasool, S., Iqbal, S., & Arshad, U. (2013). Determinants of Dividend Policy: A Case of Banking Sector in Pakistan. Middle East Journal of Scientific Research, 18(3), 410–424. https://doi.org/10.5829/idosi.mejsr.2013.18.3.12200
Bursa Malaysia. (2018). Retrieved from
http://bursa.listedcompany.com/dividend_policy.html
Focus Malaysia. (2017). Retrieved from
http://bursa.listedcompany.com/dividend_policy.html
Malaysiastock.biz. (2017). Retrieved from https://www.malaysiastock.biz/Report-Analysis/Top-KLSE-Dividend-Stock.aspx

In-Text Citation: (Anuar et al., 2023)
To Cite this Article: Anuar, A. Z. W., Haniff, M. N., & Azero, M. A. (2023). Determinants of Dividend Policy: Evidence from Malaysian Public Listed Companies. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 13(4), 357 – 370.