Downing Renewables and Infrastructure Trust hikes dividend payouts despite value drop
The firm's value fell 28 per cent from £210m at the end of 2022 to £162m at the end of 2023
Green energy project developer Downing Renewables and Infrastructure Trust has increased its dividend for 2023 despite a drop in net asset value (NAV).
However, the company hiked its dividend per share for the year from 5p to 5.28p, giving shareholders an extra £1.7m.
In its financial results published today, the company said it completed buybacks of £13.8m during the period and would be open to considering more in an effort to drive up NAV per share.
Despite the misses, Tom Williams, Downing Renewables and Infrastructure Trust’s head of Energy and Infrastructure, hailed a 26 per cent year-on-year jump in operating profit for the company’s underlying portfolio.
“It is testament to the strength of our in-house asset management team, and their ability to identify accretive growth opportunities for our assets,” he said.
“Although electricity markets have returned to normalised levels more quickly than anticipated in some of the regions in which DORE is invested, the strategic investments the Company has made in grid and grid stability assets have mitigated our exposure to this volatility and we continue to see opportunities for further diversification and incremental growth in the portfolio.”
Hugh Little, the company’s chair, added: “The board remains pleased that during the period DORE continued to build significantly on its key objective of diversification by geography, technology, revenue, and project stage, namely through its investments in electricity grids and grid stability infrastructure projects.
“We are confident that DORE is well positioned to navigate the ongoing transformative period of both the macroeconomic and the global energy landscapes, and to continue delivering sustainable returns for our shareholders,” he said.
