SENSITIVITY OF DIVIDENDS TO EARNINGS CHANGES

This paper deals with probabilities of dividend changes for a given change in earnings. This so-called sensitivity of dividends to earnings changes was analyzed on a sample of Advanced economies and Emerging and developing economies, according to International Monetary Fund classification. The main goal of the research is to empirically verify the assumption that companies are generally reluctant to cut or reduce dividends regardless of the stage of economic development of the country. In addition, the probabilities of dividend changes for a given change in earnings in characteristic groups of countries - Baltic countries and former Yugoslavia countries - have been analyzed. Research results show that earnings are significant dividend factor in all sample countries, that companies are generally reluctant to cut or decrease dividends and that dividends are less sensitive to earnings changes in Advanced economies, compared to Emerging and developing economies. Research has also shown that dividends are less responsive to earnings changes in former Yugoslavia countries compared to Baltic countries. These findings are in line with Lintner (1956) who has shown that reduction in earnings is not necessarily followed by reduction in dividends. Such behavior of dividends can be explained even by prospect theory created by Kahneman and Tversky (1979). They have shown that investors are more sensitive to negative events than to positive events and that investors do not make decisions in relation to the overall wealth but in relation to a particular reference point, which is usually the status quo. If this is the case, the previous dividends represent a specific reference point in relation to which investors make decisions. Having in mind asymmetric reaction of the investing public to dividend increases and dividend decreases (or dividend cuts), companies are reluctant to cut or decrease dividends because they are trying to avoid negative market reaction.