During today's annual meeting, the shareholders of Surgutneftegas approved the payment of RUB 0.6 (approx. USD 0.025) per common share and RUB 0.82 (approx. USD 0.035) per preferred share as dividend for 2007, RBC reports. The total payout will amount to 31.3 percent of the oil company's annual net profit, or RUB 27.75bn (approx. USD 1.173bn). Meanwhile, the company's net profit reached RUB 88bn (approx. USD 3.72bn) in 2007, a participant of the meeting told RBC.
The dividend is to be paid from May 15 until June 30, the company said in a statement.