Nairobi, March 28 -- Equity Group has increased dividend payout by 33 percent to Sh4 per share for the year ended December, joining other listed lenders in rising payments.

The payout, amounting to Sh15.1 billion, is a rise from the Sh3 per share or a total of Sh11.3 billion paid the previous year and came on the back of a 14.6 percent growth in net profit to Sh44.8 billion.

The dividend amounts to a payout of 33.6 percent of net profit, rising from 28.8 percent previously. The payout is in line with its policy of distributing between 30 percent and 50 percent of its net earnings to shareholders.

The dividend will be paid on or before June 30 to the members in the share register on the closure date of May 19.

Equity's growth in profit...