UPDATE: Fonterra 'walks fine line' supporting farmers via dividend while protecting balance sheet

Tue, 22 Mar 2016

(Adds market comment, details of product mix, updates fund price) By Jonathan Underhill March 23 (BusinessDesk) - Fonterra Cooperative Group, the world's largest dairy exporter, has avoided weakening its balance sheet by providing support to farmers via a higher first-half dividend while shifting production to higher-margin goods to lift profit as sales fell. Auckland-based Fonterra doubled its first-half dividend to 20 cents and will make early payment of the final 20 cent payment, in two increments in May and August. It didn't extend...

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