B2Gold doubles quarterly dividend

B2Gold's Masbate gold mine in the Phillippines. Image by B2Gold

The board of directors of B2Gold (TSX: BTO) on Friday approved a cash dividend for the second quarter of $0.02 per share, up from its previous quarterly dividend of $0.01 per share.

The company says it expects to declare future quarterly dividends at the same level, which would increase its annual dividend from $0.04 to $0.08 per share.

B2Gold has also published its fourth annual Responsible Mining Report, which details the company's environment, social, and governance management practices. The Vancouver-based gold producer currently has operating mines in Mali, Namibia and the Philippines.

Shares of B2Gold rose 0.7% on the TSX by 3 p.m. EST. Year to date, the stock has gone up over 37%, growing the company's market capitalization to C$7.3 billion.