UK equity chiefs anticipate 'profound change' in corporate debt and dividend culture post-pandemic

Buxton, Williams and Custis prep for cuts

UK equity fund heavyweights Richard Buxton, Gervais Williams and Alan Custis are among the investors expecting recent high-profile dividend cuts to mark a “profound change” for investors, with investor pay-outs set to shrink permanently when the coronavirus-induced crisis subsides.

It follows news on Thursday (30 April) that Royal Dutch Shell would be cutting its dividend by two-thirds, in the first such move for the world's largest dividend payer since the Second World War. Shell joined a number of other traditionally high dividend payers, including Sainsbury's, opting for a dividend cut. Market Movers Blog: US jobless claims top 30 million Speaking on a call alongside Williams and Custis yesterday, Merian Global Investors' head of UK equities Richard Buxton said the "longer-term ramifications" of the ongoing crisis are likely to be a cultural change among corp...