Argentine judge stops Siderar dividend payment

A planned dividend payment by steelmaker Siderar SID.BA was blocked by an Argentine judge on Thursday in the latest twist in a row linked to the government’s efforts to tighten control over leading companies.

The steel company had planned to pay a 2010 dividend of $359.5 million on Friday despite a ruling last month by the country’s stock market regulator that effectively annulled the payment by declaring a shareholders meeting void.