Automotive industry Environmental and shareholders' association criticize Mercedes dividend
Ahead of the Mercedes-Benz Annual General Meeting on Thursday, the Bund für Umwelt und Naturschutz Deutschland (BUND) and the Dachverband der Kritischen Aktionärinnen und Aktionäre have criticized the car manufacturer's dividend as being too high.
15.04.2026, 05:27
SDA
The joint statement was made available to the German Press Agency in advance. In addition to the dividend amount and the associated outflow of funds, the two associations also criticized the Stuttgart-based company's insufficient share of e-cars. Instead, more investment in climate protection and electromobility is needed.
According to Mercedes, shareholders are to receive a dividend of 3.50 euros per share. In total, more than 3.3 billion euros are to be distributed. The proposal for the corresponding appropriation of the balance sheet profit still has to be approved at the Annual General Meeting. Last year, the dividend was 4.30 euros per share.
Organizations call for a change of course
"The sales crisis, falling profits and declining profitability urgently demand a change of course from the Executive Board," said Jens Hilgenberg, transport expert at BUND and board member of the shareholders' association, according to the press release. Investments in climate protection and e-mobility secure jobs and Germany as a business location.
"CO2 neutrality remains the long-term goal of our strategy," reads the previously published speech by Mercedes CEO Ola Källenius at the Annual General Meeting. Electromobility is the most important technology on the way. According to Källenius, Mercedes is investing significantly more than ten billion euros this year, primarily in new technologies.
Mercedes is in a very solid position today, with net liquidity of more than 32 billion euros. "Despite massive investments, reliable dividends and share buybacks," says Källenius.
Despite the lower dividend, Mercedes remains one of the dividend kings among the 40 DAX companies. According to recently published calculations by the consulting firm EY, only Allianz, Deutsche Telekom and Siemens are likely to pay out more in total this year.
Slump in profits and falling sales
Mercedes has recently had to contend with a slump in profits. In 2025, the Group result almost halved compared to the previous year. However, it still amounted to 5.3 billion euros. Mercedes also recorded losses in sales last year. Mercedes sold just over 1.8 million passenger cars, which corresponded to a decline of nine percent. Of these, 168,800 were fully electric, i.e. not even one in ten cars.
In 2024, the Group result had already fallen by a good 28 percent year-on-year to 10.4 billion euros. The car manufacturer reacted to this and launched a cost-cutting program to become more profitable again.
