Kathmandu. Dividend season is underway. Banks and financial companies are announcing dividends in a hurry. Out of the 26 commercial banks in operation, 20 banks have declared dividends so far. Four banks, including NIC Asia, have left their shareholders empty-handed this year. NIC Asia Bank, Machhapuchhre Bank, Lakshmi Bank and Sunrise Bank have not paid dividends to the shareholders from the profits of the previous year.

According to the legal provisions of the National Bank, banks with tight capital funds have decided not to pay dividends this year. Now there are only two banks left to declare dividends. Most of the banks that have declared dividends have added cash rather than bonuses.

Banks have declared dividends to their shareholders from the profits of the last financial year 2078/79. However, this year, the dividend rate of banks has decreased. Compared to the previous year, banks have reduced the dividend rate in the last year. Despite increasing the profit in the last year, the banks have been reducing the dividend rate. However, the official of Rastra Bank said that the dividend rate was reduced as the business could not increase according to the capital increase of the bank.

Citizen Bank : Citizen Bank became the first commercial bank to declare dividend this year. The bank has announced a cash dividend of 9 percent from last year's profits. The bank is not going to give bonus shares to its shareholders this year. The dividend proposed by the bank has also been approved. From the profit of the previous year 2077/78, the bank distributed 12.91 percent bonus shares and 16 percent dividend for tax purposes.

Kumari Bank: Kumari Bank is going to distribute only cash dividend to the shareholders this year from last year's profit. The bank is going to distribute 12.50 percent cash dividend to its shareholders from last year's profit. From the previous year's profit, the bank distributed a total of 8.67 percent dividend distribution to its shareholders with 6 percent bonus and 2.67 percent cash for tax purposes.

NCC Bank: NCC Bank has also emphasized on cash this year. The bank is going to give its shareholders 3.37 percent bonus and 7.63 percent in cash from the last year's profit, a total of 13.60 percent dividend. However, from the previous year's profit, the bank distributed 8 percent bonus and 0.42 percent cash dividend for tax purposes.

Standard Chartered: Standard Chartered Bank is also going to distribute only cash dividend this year. From last year's profit, the bank will give only 16.51 percent cash dividend. From the profit of the previous year, the bank distributed a total of 13.06 percent dividend to its shareholders with 10 percent bonus and 3.06 percent in cash.

Sanima Bank: Sanima Bank has reduced the dividend rate this year. The bank, which gave 17 percent bonus from the previous year's profit and 0.89 percent cash dividend for tax purposes, has announced 10.98 percent dividend for this year. From last year's profit, the bank will give 10 percent bonus shares and 0.98 percent cash dividend for tax purposes. The dividend has already been approved by the bank in the general meeting.

Bank of Kathmandu :Bank of Kathmandu has also emphasized on cash. The bank is going to give 6 percent bonus shares and 14.95 percent cash dividend for this year. The bank gave 10 percent bonus and 4 percent cash dividend to the shareholders from the previous year's profit.

Global IME Bank: Global IME Bank has also emphasized on cash. For this year, the bank will give only 3 percent bonus and 10.60 percent cash dividend to its shareholders. Last year, the bank gave 10 percent bonus and 3.50 percent cash dividend for tax purposes from the profit of the previous year.

Nepal Investment Bank: The dividend rate of Nepal Investment Bank has decreased this year. 12.61 percent bonus shares and 3.39 percent cash dividend were given from the previous year's profit. However, for this year, the bank is going to give 4 percent bonus and 7 percent cash dividend to its shareholders.

Mega Bank: Mega Bank is going to give 7.79 percent dividend for this year. The bank proposed to give 4 percent bonus shares and 3.79 percent cash dividend to its shareholders from last year's profit. Last year, the bank distributed 10 percent bonus shares and 2.07 percent cash dividend for tax purposes from the previous year's profit.

Everest Bank: Everest Bank is going to give 20.68 percent dividend to its shareholders for this year. The bank is going to distribute 13 percent bonus shares and 7.68 percent cash dividend from last year's profit. Compared to the previous year, the dividend rate of the bank has increased. The bank gave 6 percent bonus shares and 4.32 percent cash dividend from the previous year's profit.

Prabhu Bank: The dividend rate of Prabhu Bank has also decreased. Last year, the bank distributed 12 percent bonus shares and 0.63 percent cash dividend for tax purposes, and for this year, it has announced 8 percent dividend. The bank is going to give 6.50 percent bonus shares and 1.50 percent cash dividend for tax purposes from last year's profit.

Century Commercial Bank: Century Commercial Bank has also reduced the dividend rate. For this year, the bank is going to distribute 4.75 percent bonus shares and 0.25 percent for tax purposes, a total of 5 percent dividend. Last year, 7.75% bonus and 0.30% cash was distributed as a total of 6% dividend from the previous year's profit.

Nepal SBI Bank: Nepal SBI Bank is going to give 10.53 percent dividend to its shareholders from last year's profit. The bank is going to distribute 7 percent bonus and 3 percent cash dividend for tax purposes. Last year, the bank distributed 3.50 percent bonus and 1.81 percent cash dividend for tax purposes from the previous year's profit.

Nabil Bank: Nabil Bank has declared 30 percent dividend to its shareholders from last year's profit. The bank has proposed to distribute 18.50 percent bonus and 11.50 percent cash dividend. Compared to the previous year, the bank's dividend rate has decreased. Last year, the bank distributed a total of 38 dividends out of the previous year's profit as a 33.60 percent bonus and 4.40 percent in cash for tax purposes.

NMB Bank: NMB Bank is going to distribute 8.25 percent cash dividend to its shareholders from last year's profit. The bank will not give bonus shares to its shareholders this year. However, from the previous year's profit, the bank had distributed 15.80 percent dividend last year with 12.50 percent bonus shares and 3.30 percent cash for tax purposes.

Nepal Bank: Nepal Bank has reduced the dividend rate for this year. From last year's profit, the bank has emphasized cash rather than bonus to shareholders. The bank will distribute 0% cash dividend while giving 2% bonus. Last year, the bank distributed 14 percent bonus from the previous year's profit and 3.06 percent cash dividend for tax purposes.

Siddharth Bank: Siddharth Bank has also reduced the dividend rate this year. The bank will distribute 12.50 percent bonus shares and 0.66 percent cash dividend for tax purposes to its shareholders from last year's profits. However, last year, the bank distributed 14.25 percent bonus and 0.75 percent dividend for tax purposes.

Prime Commercial Bank: Prime Commercial Bank has also reduced the dividend rate this year. From the previous year's profit, 16 percent bonus shares and 0.63 percent for tax purposes were distributed as a total of 16.63 percent dividend. However, for this year, the bank is going to distribute 4 percent bonus and 4.95 percent cash as a total of 8.95 percent dividend.

Himalayan Bank: From last year's profit, Himalayan Bank has proposed 8 percent bonus and 11.11 percent in cash as a total of 19.11 percent dividend distribution. Compared to last year, the bank's dividend rate has decreased. This year, the bank also emphasized on cash rather than bonus. Last year, the bank distributed 21.38 percent bonus and 4.62 percent cash as a total of 26 percent dividend from the previous year's profit.

Civil Bank: Civil Bank has proposed to distribute 5 percent bonus shares and 0.26 percent dividend for tax purposes. Dividends were distributed at the same rate from the profits of the previous year.