Determinants of Dividend Payout : An Empirical Study on Bank Industry in Ethiopia

As the first type of research, of its time, in the soil of Ethiopia, it aimed at investigating the driving forces of dividend policy. Amongst many objectives, this work intends to add value to the investment decision of existing and potential investors. The models considered the impact of profitability, liquidity, leverage, firm size, growth, and lagged dividend per share on dividend payout ratios in Ethiopia bank industry. Empirical results verified that dividend payments related strongly and directly to firm size and lagged dividend per share, but negatively to the liquidity ratio. However, there is no relationship of profitability, leverage, and growth as independent variables with dividend payout. The significant variables may indicate that firms pay dividends with the intention of reducing the agency problem and mangers are reluctant to cut dividend. And, negative relation of liquidity with dividend may indicate inefficient of bank industry. The results of this study have delivered some insights on the determinant factors of dividend in Ethiopia.