noun
bogus dividend
A dividend paid out of capital rather than profits, giving a false impression of profitability. The term likens the practice to an octopus eating its own legs.
その会社は利益が出ていないのに、蛸配当を続けていた。
The company kept paying bogus dividends even though it wasn't making a profit.
Standard kanji spelling for this financial term.
Katakana spelling of the first element; also common in financial contexts.
From 蛸 (octopus) + 配当 (dividend), from the image of an octopus eating its own legs, i.e., distributing capital as if it were profit.