Record profitability and distributions were recorded by listed companies for fiscal 2025, according to data from Beta Stock Exchange.
The total dividends to be paid to shareholders amount to 6.1 billion. euros, the highest amount since 2007, when distributions reached €5.4 billion.
At the same time, the net profit of listed companies rose to 12.1 billion euros, compared with 11.48 billion euros. EUR11.48 billion in 2024, while operating profit stood at EUR16.02 billion, up 3.8%.
The circulation also moved up, reaching 102.2 billion euros, up 3.5% from the previous fiscal year. Of particular importance was the banking sector, which recorded a total profit of €5.5 billion.
Despite global uncertainties and pressures in the economic environment, most companies are showing resilience in their key financials and maintain positive expectations for this year. This element is boosting investor interest around the Athens Exchange.
Total cash distributions to shareholders increased by 42% compared to 2024, when they stood at €4.2 billion. The increase is attributed to high corporate profitability but also to maintaining a disciplined dividend payout ratio, closer to the standards of mature European markets.
According to market data, cash distributions of all forms totaled more than 15.6 billion. EUR within the last four years, acting as a key factor in boosting liquidity and foreign investor confidence.
2025 is the second consecutive year in which Systemic Banks return to dividend distributions. It is a development that is seen as a sign of a complete normalisation of the banking sector, after a long period of crisis and restructuring that lasted some 15 years.
The banks had resumed dividend distributions from 2023 profits for the first time in 16 years, with the total amount then reaching about 875 million euros. A year later, distributions more than doubled to more than €1.9 billion.
At the same time, the market also saw the first payments of interim dividends for the 2026 cycle, giving investors greater visibility of cash flows during the year.
The market’s dividend yield was set at 4.4% in 2025, higher than the yield on Greek 10-year bonds, which stands at 3.39%. At the same time, it is almost three times the average yield currently offered by bank term deposits.
The highest dividend yields were in 2008 at 7.1%, 2011 at 6.8% and 2009 at 6.7%. In 2024 the yield was also at 4.4%, while in 2023 it had reached 5.2%.
When it comes to the profitability of listed companies over the past few years, the data shows a steady improvement since the crisis period. From losses in the billions of euros at the beginning of the previous decade, companies have gradually moved into a strong recovery, now reaching levels that hark back to pre-crisis performance.
