Law Debenture Corp
Website:
Law Debenture Corp
Index:
FTSE 250
EPIC: LWDB
Supersector:
Financial Services
Sector:
Equity Investment Instruments
Subsector:
Equity Investment Instruments
Market Cap:
£1.4B
Payout Frequency: Quarterly
Law Debenture Corp Dividend Analysis and Summary
Key Dividend Details
- Final dividend: 10.375p per ordinary share (subject to AGM approval)
- Total dividend for FY2025: 35.5p per share (up 6.0% YoY)
- Record date: 20/03/2026
- Ex-dividend date: 19/03/2026 (derived as one business day before record date)
- Payment date: 29/04/2026
- Dividend cover: 1.05x (Group revenue EPS 37.26p vs DPS 35.5p)
- Yield: 3.1% based on 10/03/2026 closing price of 1,132p
- Track record: 47 consecutive years of maintained or increased dividends (increases in 46 of those years)
Dividend Sustainability and Growth
- Coverage and earnings momentum: Cover of 1.05x is positive but thin; however, revenue EPS rose 11.3% YoY to 37.26p, supporting the 6% DPS increase.
- Multiple income engines: Portfolio dividend income increased 16.1% to £40.3m; the IPS business grew net revenue 7.5% and underlying PBIT 6.1%, and has funded ~one-third of dividends over the last decade—an important stabiliser through cycles.
- Balance sheet and costs: Ongoing charges remain low at 0.56%; gearing is a moderate 12% with long-dated debentures at a weighted average cost of 3.96%. New £50m term loan (SONIA+140 bps) and an undrawn £50m RCF add flexibility.
- Growth trajectory: The Board targets mid-to-high single-digit growth in IPS, while portfolio managers retain flexibility (thanks to IPS income) to own lower-yield or no-yield equities that can recycle gains into future income—supportive of continued, steady DPS progression.
Structural or Policy Considerations
- Share issuance: 1.3m new shares issued in 2025 for £11.6m at a premium to NAV (accretive). More shares modestly raise the absolute cash cost of dividends but proceeds support growth.
- Financing: New £50m term loan and £50m RCF (3-year tenor) enhance liquidity; no share buybacks in 2025.
- Dividend policy: Continued emphasis on “steadily increasing income,” underpinned by IPS cash generation; no change in policy signalled.
Risks and Flags to Dividend Stability
- Thin cover: 1.05x leaves limited headroom if portfolio income softens or IPS underperforms.
- IPS concentration/valuation risk: IPS is ~16% of NAV and an unquoted asset; while diversified and growing, it is less liquid and a key contributor to dividend funding.
- Market and macro sensitivity: ~90% UK equity exposure; dividend receipts depend on portfolio holdings’ distributions and UK market health.
- Interest costs: Additional floating-rate debt (SONIA-linked) introduces some earnings sensitivity to rates (albeit the outlook suggests easing).
- Reporting restatement: FRC-led correction to prior interim dividend recognition is a disclosure/technical item rather than a cash issue, but worth noting for governance scrutiny.
Read more
Law Debenture Corp Annual Dividend Yield - 1.79%
Dividends Used in Calculation:
| Ex-Dividend Date |
Payment Date |
Type |
Amount |
Currency |
| 18/12/2025 |
16/01/2026 |
Q3 |
8.3750p |
GBX |
| 19/03/2026 |
29/04/2026 |
Q4 |
10.3750p |
GBX |
Total (Annual Dividends Per Share):
18.75p
Dividend Yield =
Annual Dividends Per Share (18.75p)
÷ Share Price (1050p)
= 1.79%
Law Debenture Corp Dividend History
| Ex Dividend Date |
Payment Date |
Type |
Amount |
Currency |
| 19/03/2026 |
29/04/2026 |
Q4 |
10.3750p |
GBX |
| 18/12/2025 |
16/01/2026 |
Q3 |
8.3750p |
GBX |
| 02/10/2025 |
24/10/2025 |
Q2 |
8.3750p |
GBX |
| 05/06/2025 |
04/07/2025 |
Q1 |
8.3750p |
GBX |
| 20/03/2025 |
16/04/2025 |
Final |
9.50p |
GBX |
| 19/12/2024 |
23/01/2025 |
Q3 |
8.00p |
GBX |
| 26/09/2024 |
24/10/2024 |
Q2 |
8.00p |
GBX |
| 30/05/2024 |
04/07/2024 |
Q1 |
8.00p |
GBX |
| 07/03/2024 |
11/04/2024 |
Final |
9.13p |
GBX |
| 21/12/2023 |
25/01/2024 |
Q3 |
7.63p |
GBX |
| 05/10/2023 |
26/10/2023 |
Q2 |
7.63p |
GBX |
| 01/06/2023 |
06/07/2023 |
Q1 |
7.63p |
GBX |
| 09/03/2023 |
13/04/2023 |
Final |
8.75p |
GBX |
| 22/12/2022 |
26/01/2023 |
Q3 |
7.25p |
GBX |
| 06/10/2022 |
27/10/2022 |
Q2 |
7.25p |
GBX |
| 01/06/2022 |
07/07/2022 |
Q1 |
7.25p |
GBX |
| 10/03/2022 |
14/04/2022 |
Final |
8.38p |
GBX |
| 23/12/2021 |
28/01/2022 |
Q3 |
6.88p |
GBX |
| 07/10/2021 |
28/10/2021 |
Q2 |
6.88p |
GBX |
| 03/06/2021 |
07/07/2021 |
Q1 |
6.88p |
GBX |
| 11/03/2021 |
15/04/2021 |
Final |
8.00p |
GBX |
| 24/12/2020 |
28/01/2021 |
Q3 |
6.50p |
GBX |
| 24/09/2020 |
28/10/2020 |
Q2 |
6.50p |
GBX |
| 25/06/2020 |
28/07/2020 |
Q1 |
6.50p |
GBX |
| 12/03/2020 |
16/04/2020 |
Final |
19.40p |
GBX |
| 08/08/2019 |
06/09/2019 |
Interim |
6.60p |
GBX |
| 14/03/2019 |
18/04/2019 |
Final |
12.90p |
GBX |
| 09/08/2018 |
07/09/2018 |
Interim |
6.00p |
GBX |
| 15/03/2018 |
19/04/2018 |
Final |
11.80p |
GBX |
| 10/08/2017 |
08/09/2017 |
Interim |
5.50p |
GBX |
| 16/03/2017 |
20/04/2017 |
Final |
11.50p |
GBX |
| 11/08/2016 |
09/09/2016 |
Interim |
5.20p |
GBX |
| 17/03/2016 |
21/04/2016 |
Final |
11.00p |
GBX |
| 13/08/2015 |
11/09/2015 |
Interim |
5.20p |
GBX |
| 19/03/2015 |
23/04/2015 |
Final |
11.00p |
GBX |
| 13/08/2014 |
12/09/2014 |
Interim |
4.70p |
GBX |
| 19/03/2014 |
17/04/2014 |
Final |
10.50p |
GBX |
| 14/08/2013 |
12/09/2013 |
Interim |
4.50p |
GBX |
| Year |
Interim |
Final |
Currency |
Total |
Change |
| 2024 |
|
9.500 |
GBX |
33.500 |
4.750 |
| 2023 |
|
9.120 |
GBX |
31.980 |
4.850 |
| 2022 |
|
8.750 |
GBX |
30.500 |
5.090 |
| 2021 |
|
8.380 |
GBX |
29.020 |
5.520 |
| 2020 |
|
8.000 |
GBX |
27.500 |
5.760 |
| 2019 |
6.600 |
19.400 |
GBX |
26.000 |
37.560 |
| 2018 |
6.000 |
12.900 |
GBX |
18.900 |
9.240 |
| 2017 |
5.500 |
11.800 |
GBX |
17.300 |
3.590 |
| 2016 |
5.200 |
11.500 |
GBX |
16.700 |
3.080 |
| 2015 |
5.200 |
11.000 |
GBX |
16.200 |
3.180 |
| 2014 |
4.700 |
11.000 |
GBX |
15.700 |
4.660 |
| 2013 |
4.500 |
10.500 |
GBX |
15.000 |
|
Law Debenture Corp Dividend Calculator
Law Debenture Corp Dividend Growth
| Dividend Growth (1Y) |
5.97%
|
| Dividend CAGR (5Y) |
5.24%
|
| Years of Growth |
4
|
| Payout Ratio |
14.98%
|
| Buyback Yield |
-1.31%
|
| Shareholder Yield |
2.1%
|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 4.55 |
| Forward P/E | – |
| P/FCF | 26.91 |
| Earnings Yield | 21.91% |
| FCF Yield | 3.72% |
| ROE | 28.56% |
| ROCE | 22.06% |
| Profit Margin | 81.41% |
| Operating Margin | 84.04% |
| Gross Margin | 97.44% |