Are dividends paid by French companies too high?

The issue of dividends paid by French companies reappears from time to time . Are they not too high, at the expense of wages and investment? Is not the return on capital for the shareholders excessive? The analyses presented are often very questionable from a methodological viewpoint . For example , some compare CAC 40 dividends with French economic data , whereas the CAC 40 companies are multinationals. In this Flash we will look at: CAC 40 companies’ situation: how their dividends have evolved in relation to their earnings, revenues, investments and payroll; French companies’ situation in the geographical scope of France: how have the dividends that they pa y evolved? The dividend yield (the profitability of owning equities) for companies listed in France. We can then conclude that: The weight of dividends has fallen since the 2008 crisis and does not seem excessive in relation to the payroll; The dividend yield seems low given the risk of owning equities. It is difficult to support the idea that the weight of dividends is abnormally high.