The GEO Group (GEO) will this time cut its quarterly dividend by 29.2 percent to 34 cents per share. Thie follows a 2.9 percent hike to a split adjusted $0.48 per share in the first quarter of 2019. This actually was the first dividend hike since 2017 by the correctional facilities REIT.

The next quarterly cash dividend will be paid on October 23, 2020 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on October 16, 2020. The new dividend yield for GEO is 12.1% if the company will maintain its new 34 cent quarterly dividend.

Because of the dividend cut the average dividend growth rate in the last five years will drop to a negative 4.7 percent annually. GEO hiked its dividend by double digits twice back in 2014 and 2013. The new annual dividend payment to investors is $165 million based on the current number of shares outstanding an the lower annual dividend rate.

The GEO Group, Inc. is a fully integrated equity real estate investment trust specialized in the design, financing, development, and operation of correctional, detention, and community reentry facilities. GEO has operations in the United States, Australia, South Africa, and the United Kingdom. GEO’s worldwide operations include the ownership and/or management of 125 facilities totaling approximately 93,000 beds, including projects under development, with a workforce of approximately 23,000 professionals. The company has paid a dividend to shareholders every year since 2012.