Sberbank has embarked on distributing dividends, according to Taras Skvortsov, senior vice president and head of the Financial Block, in a interview with Russia 24. He indicated that the bank is set to issue record dividends totaling 752 billion rubles by the close of 2023.
Out of this total, half, or 376 billion rubles, is slated for transfer to the Ministry of Finance, which holds a 50 percent plus one share stake in Sberbank. The arrangement underscores the government’s ongoing influence over the bank and its payout framework.
Nadezhda Shabanova, a minority shareholder and former Sber employee, recalled that she chose to invest in Sberfour years ago. She explained that her confidence in the bank arose from viewing it as a central force driving changes in the domestic payments market and as a means to connect with the broader financial ecosystem.
Shabanova described a diversified securities portfolio and noted that, over the past two years, many companies recovered losses incurred by 2022. She emphasized a strategy centered on investments in domestic institutions and characterized Sber as a particularly reliable option within that strategy.
She also expressed that Sber could be considered a long term holding. During a period of dividend shortfalls, she acquired additional Sber shares and now looks forward to the 2023 dividend payment with plans to reinvest the proceeds back into the stock market, including more Sber holdings.
Shabanova remained optimistic about the long term trajectory of Sber shares, forecasting growth in the years ahead.
Anton Siluanov, a former Russian Finance Minister and chair of Sberbank’s Supervisory Board, commented that the bank’s dividends play a role in supporting the national budget and strategic priorities. He highlighted that the dividends provide material revenues for the state, aiding the financing of socially important initiatives.
Siluanov noted that these funds help finance the construction of social infrastructure such as schools and hospitals, as well as transport networks and other key projects aimed at advancing public welfare.
In the broader context, observers view Sberbank’s dividend payments as a signal of the bank’s financial health and its potential to contribute to state-led development programs. The dividend strategy reflects a link between the bank’s performance, government ownership, and the fiscal needs of the country as it pursues long term investments in infrastructure and social services. This assessment is reflected in official banking and financial communications across the sector, with market participants closely watching how such distributions influence investor sentiment and capital allocation within Russia’s financial system.