CSCS Declares First Interim Dividend After Record Half-Year Performance

Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) Plc has declared an interim dividend of N1 per ordinary share, the first time the financial market infrastructure provider has paid one, following results for the half-year ended 30 June 2026.

Total operating income reached N18.51 billion, a 92 per cent increase. Operating profit rose 186 per cent to N10.11 billion and profit before tax climbed 115 per cent to N13.21 billion. Earnings per share improved to N1.90 from N1.09.

The efficiency picture is what gives those headline numbers weight. Operating expenses grew 38 per cent, well behind income, pushing the cost-to-income ratio down to 45.4 per cent from 63.2 per cent and lifting the operating profit margin to 54.6 per cent from 36.8 per cent. Growth, in other words, came with widening rather than thinning margins.

The interim payout represents 56 per cent of the N1.78 per share paid for the whole of 2025. Chairman Temi Popoola pointed to a record first-half performance and a board balancing shareholder returns against continued technology investment, while Managing Director Shehu Shantali highlighted earnings growth alongside operational efficiency.

Source: The Nation