澳大利亚证券交易所（ASX.AX）主席周四表示，该公司在解决监管问题方面已达到一个转折点，并维持了较低的股息派发比率和较高的下一年度成本指引。
The Australian Securities Exchange's (ASX.AX) chair said on Thursday the company had reached a turning point in addressing its regulatory troubles, and maintained its lower dividend payout ratio and higher cost guidance for the year ahead.
过去三年来，由于一次失败的技术改造，澳大利亚证券交易所面临多次交易中断和结算延迟，这导致澳大利亚证券与投资委员会责令该交易所额外持有1.5亿澳元（约1.05亿美元）资本，并更新其基础设施。
The ASX has faced a number of trading outages and settlement delays over the past three years following a failed technology overhaul, which led the Australian Securities and Investments Commission to order the exchange to hold an extra A$150 million ($105 million) in capital and renew its infrastructure.
“我的明确观点是，澳大利亚证券交易所已达到一个重要的转折点，”澳大利亚证券交易所主席大卫·克拉克周四在公司年会上对股东表示。
"My clear view is that ASX has reached an important turning point," ASX Chair David Clarke told shareholders at the company's annual meeting on Thursday.
“我们不是通过某一项行动或某一次任命走到今天的，而是通过数年直面棘手问题、做出重要变革、一步步重建关键基础才实现的。”为满足监管机构去年12月发布的命令，澳大利亚证券交易所将股息派发比率从基础净利润的85%削减至75%。克拉克周四表示，该派发比率在本财年至少中期派息期间将维持在75%。
"We did not get here through one action or one appointment, but through several years of confronting difficult issues, making important changes and rebuilding key foundations step by step." To help meet the regulator's order issued last December, ASX cut its dividend payout ratio from 85% to 75% of underlying net profit. Clarke said on Thursday the payout ratio would remain at 75% for at least the interim dividend period in the current financial year.
由于交易所提前完成了资本要求，一些投资者曾推动澳大利亚证券交易所提高派发比率。
Some investors had pushed the ASX to increase the payout ratio as the exchange was ahead of schedule in meeting the capital charge.
“董事会认为，我们必须在继续为股东提供回报、增强澳大利亚证券交易所的财务韧性以及投资我们运营的关键市场基础设施之间取得恰当的平衡，”他在公司年会上表示。
"The board believes that we must achieve the right balance between continuing to provide returns to shareholders, strengthening ASX's financial resilience and investing in the critical market infrastructure we operate," he said at the company's annual meeting.
澳大利亚证券交易所新任首席执行官安东尼·阿提亚表示，交易所预计本财年运营支出将增长18%至21%，资本支出将在1.8亿至2亿澳元之间。
New ASX Chief Executive Anthony Attia said the exchange would record 18% to 21% growth in operating expenses in the current financial year and capital expenditure would be between A$180 million and A$200 million.
今年早些时候，运营支出和资本支出预期均已上调，以资助澳大利亚证券交易所正在进行的技术改造。
Both expenses and capital expenditure forecasts were raised earlier this year to fund the ASX's ongoing technology overhaul.
周四，澳大利亚证券交易所股价上涨0.3%，而标普/澳交所200指数（.AXJO）下跌0.35%。
ASX shares were trading 0.3% higher on Thursday, as the S&P/ASX 200 index (.AXJO) was down 0.35%.