Hanoi (VNS/VNA) — Despite the difficultiesinflicted by the COVID-19 pandemic, several companies plan to paydividends at surprisingly high rates.

Sabeco Song Tien Trading & Service JSC (SST) recentlyannounced it will pay a 2019 dividend in cash at an astonishing rate of347.6 percent, meaning every shareholder will receive 34,760 VND (1.5 USD) foreach share they have. The payout date is scheduled for September 15.

With 4 million shares outstanding, the company plans to spendabout 139 billion VND to pay the dividend. In 2018, it paid cash dividends at ahuge rate of 207 percent.

Saigon Beer Western JSC(WSB) has also announced it will pay a 2019 dividend at a relatively high rateof 50 percent instead of the initially planned rate of 40 percent.

Due to the severe impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and strictnew penalties for drink drivers, most brewers have suffered sharp drops insales consumption.

West Coach Station JointStock Company (WCS) also surprised shareholders after announcing a plan tospend 129 billion VND to pay 2019 dividend at a rate of 516 percent. Everyshareholder will receive 51,600 VND for each share they have.

WCS leaders said theCOVID-19 pandemic had caused a sharp drop in their earnings in the first fewmonths of the year as many transport firms were forced to stop working becauseof social distancing orders.

As the pandemic is beingcontained effectively, transportation activities are resuming but demand hadnot yet come back to normal.

Cuu Long Fish Joint StockCompany (ACL) recently announced it will pay the 2019 dividend in stock at arate of 135 percent. It reported 1.4 trillion VND in net revenue in2019, down 16 percent year-on-year. Post-tax profit touched 141.7 billion VND,down 38.5 percent year-on-year.

Clever Group Corporation (ADG) last month announced a plan toissue 3.44 million shares to pay the 2019 dividend at a rate of 41.6 percent.It also plans to issue 6.09 million bonus shares./.