Paddy Power payout to be a one-off

Paddy Power is unlikely to follow up its latest cash bonanza for shareholders, with another bumper pay-out in the foreseeable future.

The betting and gaming giant’s planned €392m cash return to shareholders was approved at its agm yesterday. When the company’s normal annual dividend is included, investors are sharing a windfall of €442m on the back of last year’s performance.

Davy Stockbrokers last month suggested that Paddy Power’s cash returns to shareholders could reach €800m over the next couple of years — via ordinary and special dividends — as it rows back from acquisition spend and grows more organically.