The impact of dividend policy on share price volatility of JSE ALTX listed companies

M.Com. (Financial Management)Abstract: Share prices and dividends were considered as important factors in creating and increasing shareholders’ wealth. In some theories it was indicated that the existence of a relationship between share prices and dividends could be questioned. More important for companies and investors was the determination of a relationship between share price volatility and dividends. If such a relationship existed, companies could structure their dividend policy decisions to attain minimum share price volatility in order to attract maximum investor interest. This was especially important to small and medium-sized companies finding themselves in the early growth phase. The aim of this study was to determine whether a relationship existed between share price volatility and dividend policy for companies listed on the Alternative Exchange (AltX) on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange Limited (JSE Ltd). Dividend policy was measured through dividend yield and the dividend pay-out ratio. Share price volatility was regressed against dividend yield and the dividend pay-out ratio using panel data regression analysis to achieve this aim. Share price volatility was found to have a statistically significant and negative relationship with dividend yield, and a statistically insignificant relationship with the dividend pay-out ratio. The results indicated that a company could possibly reduce the share price volatility by using the dividend policy by declaring dividends, although the amount of dividends in relation to earnings were of little importance to investors of small to medium-sized companies. The results of this study therefore provided information that such companies could use to structure their dividend policy in such a way that share price volatility risk would be minimised, which in turn would promote optimum growth for investors