FAQs
About Argo
Argo’s full investment portfolio is released each year in the Annual Report and published on our website. As Argo is a long-term investor and not a trader, the stocks held in the investment portfolio do not change dramatically from year to year.
For more information, see Our portfolio.
Argo shares are bought through a sharebroker on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) just as you would buy shares in other ASX-listed companies, such as Woolworths and BHP. Argo shares trade under the ASX ticker code ‘ARG’.
For more information, see How to invest.
As the majority of Argo’s profit is paid out as dividends to shareholders, the dividend amount will depend largely on how much profit Argo generates from its investment portfolio. Profit will vary depending primarily on the amount of dividends paid to Argo by the companies the portfolio. As a listed investment company (LIC), Argo can retain some of its profits to for future dividends. This can help ‘smooth’ dividends to provide shareholders with more reliable and consistent income.
Argo does not provide guidance on future dividend expectations.
For details of dividends Argo has paid since 1985, see ‘Historical dividends’
Changing your details
If your shares are CHESS Sponsored (Holder Identification Number (HIN) starting with ‘X’) you will need to advise your broker who will arrange for the change to be noted on Argo’s share register.
If your shares are Issuer Sponsored (Shareholder Reference Number (SRN) starting with ‘I’) you will need to contact Argo’s share registry, BoardRoom Pty Limited. The easiest way to do this is via their secure and user-friendly online investor portal InvestorServe. Alternatively, you can contact BoardRoom directly.
Managing your shareholding
Yes, using the share registry’s secure and user-friendly online investor portal InvestorServe.
If you have not already registered for InvestorServe, you will need your Shareholder Reference Number (SRN) or Holder Identification Number (HIN).
Argo shares can either be sponsored by Argo itself or by your broker. If your shares are sponsored by Argo, they are known as Issuer Sponsored and are held on the Issuer Sponsored Subregister. Issuer Sponsored shares have a Shareholder Reference Number (SRN) beginning with ‘I’ and can be traded through any broker.
However, if you have signed an agreement with your broker that the broker sponsors your shares, the shares are held on the CHESS Subregister. CHESS Sponsored shares have a Holder Identification Number (HIN), starting with ‘X’. You will have the same HIN for all your various shareholdings sponsored with that broker.
The easiest way to access past dividend statements is using the share registry’s secure and user-friendly online investor portal InvestorServe.
If you have not already registered for InvestorServe, you will need your Shareholder Reference Number (SRN) or Holder Identification Number (HIN).
For dividend statements prior to 30 June 2012, you will need to contact the share registry BoardRoom directly.
There will be a charge to reproduce older dividend statements or transaction histories.
Selling and transferring shares
Argo shares are traded on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX), just like other listed companies such as Woolworths or BHP, via a stockbroker, online broker, financial adviser or investment platform. If you don’t already have one, you will need to set up an account with a broker, adviser or platform to sell some or all of your Argo shares.
Using an online broker is usually more cost efficient than a traditional stockbroker. You can ask your bank if they have a broking service or go to the ASX website to find a broker here.
Apart from brokerage, there are no other fees to buy, hold or sell Argo shares.
A standard transfer form, and instructions for completing it, can be downloaded from the share registry’s secure and user-friendly online investor portal InvestorServe
Please note:
If one or both of the parties to the transfer are CHESS Sponsored, you will need to contact your sponsoring sharebroker so that they can process the transfer through the CHESS system.
It is important to make sure that both the ‘buying’ and ‘selling’ parties to the transfer sign the form. A fee applies and the seller/transfer or will need to provide identification.
For more information, contact the share registry BoardRoom.
Fees
Argo is internally managed and does not charge fees to shareholders to buy, sell or hold its shares. The only cost incurred in owning Argo shares is brokerage payable to the sharebroker for buying or selling the shares.
Other questions
In addition to the benefit of franking credits, Argo dividends may include a listed investment company (LIC) capital gain component which allows a tax deduction for most shareholders. This will be clearly stated on your dividend statement when applicable.
For more information, including how to claim the tax deduction, see our LIC capital gain tax deduction fact sheet here.
