Insurer AXA plans to halve proposed dividend payout

PARIS (Reuters) - French insurer AXA plans to cut its dividend to 0.73 euros per share from a planned payout of 1.43 euros, the firm said on Wednesday, in order to preserve cash amid the coronavirus pandemic.AXA added that it could consider proposing an additional fourth-quarter shareholder payment, of up to 0.70 euros per share, if financial market conditions improved.Insurers across the world have been slashing their dividend payouts in order to preserve cash as the health crisis hits..