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Calista Payout Hits New Mark

Calista Corporation

Calista shareholders got larger dividends in 2018. According to a report released by the Native Regional corporation, payouts to members in Calista’s three dividend programs totaled a little over $9.5 million, up from around $9 million paid out the year before. 

Calista has three different dividend programs, with the largest dividend distribution in the spring. Calista Communications Manager Thom Leonard says that generally, Native corporations like Calista provide much higher dividends than conventional corporations listed on stock exchanges.

“For the S&P 500, dividend yields are around 2 cents on the dollar for net income,” Leonard said. “For Calista this year it was over 41 cents on the dollar for net income. So the rate of the dividends that Calista provides and other Alaska Native corporations provide is much high than the dividend yields you would find on Wall Street or the S&P 500.”

In 2018, Calista’s spring dividends totaled $6.18 million. Calista also distributes an Akilista dividend in November that is based on its investment portfolio. 

“Part of it depends on how well the stock market does, and the stock market had a good year last year,” said Leonard. “And the other side of it is the continued contributions that Calista makes every year into that portfolio.”

In 2018, the Akalista dividend totaled $2.61 million. Recently, the stock market has been having some dramatic declines. That may impact next year’s dividend distribution from the company’s investment portfolio. The impact may be softened because Leonard says that the payout is based on the investment portfolio’s average performance over three years. 

The third dividend program is the special Elder’s Distribution that was created in 2007. Leonard says that it is the only Calista dividend that pays the same for each Elder without regard to how many shares the Elder may have.

“So whether the original shareholder Elder has one share or 100 shares, each Elder would get the same amount of distribution. And this year it was $325 per shareholder.”

The Elder’s Distribution was made in December, and totaled $766,000. 

Calista also has a direct deposit program for shareholders as mail can take up to 15 days to deliver dividends to shareholders living in Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta villages. To sign up for free direct deposit go to www.calistacorp.com, or call 907-275-2800 or 800-277-5516.