Investors in companies listed on the Ghana Stock Exchange received GH¢37 billion in dividends over the past 12 months, while investors in corporate bonds and commercial paper earned nearly GH¢800 million in coupon payments, Managing Director of the Ghana Stock Exchange, Abena Amoah, has disclosed.

She said the figures demonstrate the growing role of Ghana’s capital market in creating wealth for investors while providing businesses with access to long-term financing.

Ms Amoah disclosed this at the listing ceremony of Petrosol Platinum Energy PLC’s GH¢200 million note programme on the Ghana Fixed Income Market.

According to Ms Amoah, investors who own shares in companies listed on the GSE have received substantial returns through dividend payments over the past year.

“My equities team informs me that in the last 12 months, by way of dividends, investors have received GH¢37 billion in dividends in the last 12 months from companies listed on the Ghana Stock Exchange,” she said.

She added that investors in corporate bonds and commercial paper received almost GH¢800 million in coupon payments during the same period.

Ms Amoah said the figures highlight the capital market’s importance beyond its role in helping companies raise funds.

“That shows the importance of our capital markets as an important tool for wealth generation,” she said.

She explained that returns paid to investors can subsequently be reinvested, creating a cycle through which savings are channelled back into productive economic activities.

The dividend payments represent returns to shareholders who own portions of listed companies, while the coupon payments are interest earned by investors who provide financing to businesses through debt instruments.

The disclosure comes as the Ghana Stock Exchange continues to encourage more businesses to consider the capital market as an alternative to traditional bank financing.

Ms Amoah said the exchange provides companies with several avenues for raising funds, including equities, corporate bonds, commercial paper, green bonds, and sustainable bonds.

She said 15 corporate issuers have raised about GH¢24 billion through the corporate bond market since its establishment in 2015.

She also pointed to Ghana's pension funds, which she said manage more than GH¢120 billion in assets, as a significant source of capital that could support businesses seeking financing.

Her message to businesses was straightforward: “The market is open. The capital is here.”

The comments were made at the listing of Petrosol Platinum Energy PLC's GH¢200 million note programme on the Ghana Fixed Income Market.

The transaction provides the indigenous downstream petroleum company with longer-term financing while giving investors another opportunity to invest in corporate fixed-income securities.

The listing adds to efforts to deepen Ghana's corporate debt market and encourage more local businesses to raise capital domestically.

For the GSE, the returns received by investors demonstrate that the capital market can serve both sides of the economy — providing businesses with funding to expand while giving savers and investors opportunities to earn returns.

Ms Amoah is therefore urging more Ghanaian companies to tap into the market as the exchange seeks to expand the role of domestic capital in financing economic growth.