$LICHSGFIN

Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) traded lower in early sessions on June 25 after the state-owned insurer turned ex-dividend for its final FY26 dividend of Rs 10 per share. The decline was largely attributed to the stock adjusting for the dividend payout. LIC shares slipped as much as 2.2 percent to about Rs 427 during morning trade. However, after accounting for the dividend adjustment, the stock was marginally up by nearly 0.1 percent, suggesting that the decline reflected the ex-dividend effect rather than any significant selling pressure. Over the past year, LIC's stock has fallen around 10.1 percent, compared with a 4.4 percent decline in the benchmark Nifty 50 index. The insurer had announced the final dividend of Rs 10 per equity share on May 21 while reporting its fourth-quarter earnings. June 25 has been designated as both the record date and ex-dividend date to determine eligible shareholders, subject to approval at the company’s annual general meeting. Under India’s T+1 settlement cycle, investors needed to purchase LIC shares on or before June 24 to qualify for the dividend. Since its market debut, LIC has maintained a regular dividend payout track record, although the quantum has varied. The company declared a final dividend of Rs 12 per share in FY25, following a total dividend payout of Rs 10 per share in FY24, comprising a Rs 6 final dividend and a Rs 4 interim dividend. Earlier, LIC had paid final dividends of Rs 3 per share in FY23 and Rs 1.50 per share in FY22.