Muthoot Finance Ltd. approved an interim dividend of Rs 26 per share on Monday ahead of its fourth quarter earnings for fiscal 2025, according to an exchange filing.The gold loan financier's board considered and approved the payment of an interim dividend of Rs 26 per equity share or 260% of the face value of Rs 10 per share for the fiscal 2024-25.The board also floated a recommendation of an increase of Rs 2 lakh crore in borrowing power of the board of directors for shareholder approval.The board also authorised the appointment of George Joseph for the position of independent director.This development comes after the firm's gold loan book crossed Rs 1 lakh crore in fiscal 2025.Managing Director George Alexander pointed towards the 40% rise in gold prices over the past year as a major factor in the growth for the company and the overall segment, increasing loan disbursements as well as customer participation.Shares of Muthoot Finance closed 4.47% higher at Rs 2,203.60 apiece on the NSE, compared to a 1.17% uptick in the benchmark Nifty. The share price has risen 34.27% in the last 12 months and 3.16% on a year-to-date basis. Nineteen out of the 23 analysts tracking the company have a 'buy' rating on the stock, three suggest 'hold' and one recommends 'sell', according to Bloomberg. The stock's return potential was at 12.4%(With Inputs From PTI)Tata Investment Declares Dividend Of Rs 27 Per Share