Shares in Bank of Ireland and AIB fell by over 10pc and 12pc respectively yesterday, after the country's two biggest lenders said they would not be paying a final 2019 dividend. The State has a 71pc stake in AIB, which had proposed paying a €217m dividend this year. Meanwhile, Bank of Ireland said it expected the coronavirus to have a "material impact" on the group's performance this year. AIB reported a €320m decline in profit before tax - excluding exceptional items - to €1bn last year, while Bank of Ireland reported underlying profit of €758m for the year. KBC Bank is also withdrawing its final dividend over 2019 profit, and cancelling its proposed share buyback.

Source: Irish Independent March 31, 2020 01:30 UTC