COVID-19: Dutch banking and financial group Rabobank postpones dividend payments until at least Oct 2020

COVID-19: Dutch banking and financial group Rabobank postpones dividend payments until at least Oct 2020

(PRESS RELEASE) UTRECHT, 30-Mar-2020 — /EuropaWire/ — Dutch multinational banking and financial group Rabobank has announced it will not make distributions on its Rabobank Certificates in March, June and September 2020. Decision follows recent ECB and DNB announcements. Herewith Rabobank adheres to the recommendation of the ECB not to pay dividends until at least October 2020.

On Friday 27 March the ECB adopted a recommendation on dividend distributions during the COVID-19 pandemic (ECB/2020/19). The ECB considers it essential that banks conserve capital to retain their capacity to support the economy in these uncertain times. The ECB therefore expects banks to refrain from dividend distributions for the financial years 2019 and 2020 until at least 1 October 2020 to ensure that banks retain their capacity to be able to support households, small businesses and corporates.

Following recent ECB and DNB announcements, Rabobank has decided to use its discretion not to pay any distributions on its CET1 instrument, the Rabobank Certificates, on the upcoming scheduled payment dates of 29 March, 29 June and 29 September 2020.

Bas Brouwers, Chief Financial Officer Rabobank

Commenting on the bank’s support of the real economy, Bas Brouwers, Chief Financial Officer Rabobank, said:

“As a cooperative bank we want to maximize our support to the real economy and help our clients through this crisis. It is our priority, together with the banking sector, government, supervisory institutions and other stakeholders, to support our clients, who are being hit so severely by the corona pandemic, by offering them several possibilities for temporary financial relief. As a cooperative bank we want and can be part of the solution and help our clients through this crisis.”

Rabobank is committed to its longstanding relationship with both retail and institutional investors and understands that the decision not to pay distributions will affect the direct return for investors on the Rabobank Certificates during this period until at least 1st October 2020.

Rabobank will closely monitor further updates and recommendations from the regulators, including the ECB’s announced evaluation of the economic situation and the possibility of dividend distributions after 1 October 2020. At such time Rabobank will determine in its full discretion the payments on the Rabobank Certificates, which could result in no, lower or higher payments being made.

For more information about the cooperative Rabobank (its capital position and governance) and the payment policy of the Rabobank Certificates, we refer to www.rabobank.com/ir.

Media contacts:

+31 (0) 30 216 2758 of pressoffice@rabobank.nl
Rabobank Investor Relations
+31 (0)30 712 2401 of IR@rabobank.com

SOURCE: Rabobank