Tesco defends dividend payout as warns coronavirus costs could top $1 billion

LONDON (Reuters) - Tesco has defended its decision to pay investors a 635 million pound dividend while accepting business tax relief from the British government aimed at helping distressed retailers through the coronavirus crisis.Britain's biggest retailer, which saw sales soar 30% in the three weeks before the country went into lockdown to contain the spread of the virus, estimated a hit of up to 925 million pounds from the costs of dealing with the pandemic and warned it couldn't give profit..