3 Dates to Remember if You Want A Cash Dividend - ACap Advisors & Accountants (2024)

We all have important dates to remember in our lives such as birthdays and anniversaries. When it comes to investing for dividends, there are three key dates that everyone should memorize. The three dates are the date of declaration, date of record, and date of payment. Most investors buy stocks only for their cash dividends, this is especially true now because interest rates are so low and investors are hungry for yield. However, the next time you decide to buy a stock for its dividend, keep the following three dates in mind to ensure you get the cash you deserve.

Date of Declaration
The date of declaration is when the company’s board of directors announces their intention to pay a cash dividend. Once declared, the company incurs a liability on their books to reflect the proposed dividend to shareholders. At the same meeting, the board of directors also announces the date of record and date of payment.

Date of Record (and ex-dividend date)
The date of record is how the company determines which shareholders are entitled to the dividend. A company maintains a record of all their shareholders, unless the shares are held in street-name. Street-name means you own your shares through a brokerage account. In such cases, the company pays the broker and the broker deposits the cash dividend in your account. The ex-dividend date is two days before the date of record. Investors who own the stock before the ex-dividend date are entitled to the dividend whereas investors who buy the stock on or after the ex-dividend date will not receive the dividend. As a result, the value of the stock declines on the ex-dividend date because the stock trades without the right to the dividend and the value of the company decreases because the dividend no longer belongs to the company.

Date of Payment
This is the last date to remember for dividends because the date of payment is when you actually receives the cash dividend.

Sometimes companies pay large special dividends (such as Microsoft in 2004) because they have excess cash on their books and they want to distribute it to shareholders. You could potentially miss out on a cash dividend if you do not pay attention to the three key dates mentioned above. Most importantly, don’t buy a stock just for its dividend. Dividend paying companies are usually mature companies that can no longer reinvest their profitsinto the business to earn a sufficient return required by their shareholders. You should have a diversified portfolio that includes both dividend and growth oriented companies.

Have a financial question? Contact ACap Asset Management atinfo@acapam.comor 818-272-8511.

Ara Oghoorian, CFA, CFP® is the president and founder of ACap Asset Management, Inc., a “Fee-Only” investment management firm headquartedin Los Angeles, CA specializing in helping doctors and healthcare professionalsmake sound financial decisions. Visit us atwww.acapam.com

3 Dates to Remember if You Want A Cash Dividend - ACap Advisors & Accountants (2024)

FAQs

3 Dates to Remember if You Want A Cash Dividend - ACap Advisors & Accountants? ›

Answer and Explanation: The three significant cash dividend dates are (in order) the dates of c) declaration, record, and distribution. The board meets and determines whether or not to declare a dividend from the previous quarter and how much should be issued to each share.

What are the three significant dates of a cash dividend? ›

Answer and Explanation: The three significant cash dividend dates are (in order) the dates of c) declaration, record, and distribution. The board meets and determines whether or not to declare a dividend from the previous quarter and how much should be issued to each share.

What dates do you need to know for dividends? ›

There are four dates to know when it comes to companies' dividends: the declaration date, the ex-dividend date, the record date, and the payable date. On the ex-dividend date, stock prices typically decline by the amount of the dividend.

What 3 conditions must be met before a cash dividend is paid? ›

There are three prerequisites to paying a cash dividend: a decision by the board of directors, sufficient cash, and sufficient retained earnings.

What are the important dates to be considered when a cash dividend is declared? ›

To determine whether you should get a dividend, you need to look at two important dates. They are the "record date" or "date of record" and the "ex-dividend date" or "ex-date." When a company declares a dividend, it sets a record date when you must be on the company's books as a shareholder to receive the dividend.

What is the rule 3 of dividend rules? ›

Rule 3 of Dividend Rules prescribes the conditions to be complied with for declaring dividend out of reserves. A pertinent question here is – whether a company can declare dividend out of 100% of the amount that has been transferred to General Reserve.

How do I know what dividends to invest in? ›

How to pick dividend stocks
  1. Don't chase high dividend yields. "There's a reason—and not always a good one—that a security is offering payouts that are well above its peers or the broader market," Steve says. ...
  2. Assess the payout ratio. ...
  3. Check the balance sheet. ...
  4. Look at dividend growth. ...
  5. Understand sector risk. ...
  6. Consider a fund.

What is the 45 day rule for dividends? ›

The 45 day rule (sometimes called dividend stripping) requires shareholders to have held the shares 'at risk' for at least 45 days (plus the purchase day and sale day) in order to be eligible to claim franking credits in their tax returns.

Is it better to buy before or after ex-dividend date? ›

The stock price drops by the amount of the dividend on the ex-dividend date. Remember, the ex-dividend date is the day before the record date. If investors want to receive a stock's dividend, they have to buy shares of stock before the ex-dividend date.

What are the three dates and the journal entries for recording cash dividends? ›

Three dividend dates are significant:
  • Date of declaration. The date of declaration indicates when the board of directors approved a motion declaring that dividends should be paid. ...
  • Date of record. The board of directors establishes the date of record; it determines which stockholders receive dividends. ...
  • Date of payment.

Who is eligible for cash dividend? ›

This is usually expressed as an amount of money per share. To get the cash dividend, you need to be on the company's list of shareholders. The company sets a specific date, called the record date. You can receive the cash dividend if you own shares on or before this date.

Which is better cash dividend or stock dividend? ›

Stock dividends are thought to be superior to cash dividends as long as they are not accompanied by a cash option. Companies that pay stock dividends are giving their shareholders the choice of keeping their profit or turning it to cash whenever they so desire; with a cash dividend, no other option is given.

What is a declaration date? ›

What Is the Declaration Date? The declaration date is the date on which the board of directors of a company announces the next dividend payment. This statement includes the dividend's size, ex-dividend date, and payment date. The declaration date is also referred to as the "announcement date."

Can I sell on record date and still get dividend? ›

Can you sell on the record date and still get the dividend? Yes, you can sell anytime on or after the ex-dividend date and still be eligible for the dividend. All investors who owned stock by the end of the trading session the day before the ex-dividend date will receive the payout.

On which day is cash dividends debited for a cash dividend? ›

On the initial date when a dividend to shareholders is formally declared, the company's retained earnings account is debited for the dividend amount while the dividends payable account is credited by the same amount.

What are the three major dates associated with dividends and the journal entries that would be created on those dates? ›

The three key dates for dividend are: Date of Declaration - this is the date of dividend announcement made by the board of directors. Date of Record (and ex-dividend date) - ex-dividend date is the date before which the shareholders must own stock so that they are entitled for dividend.

What are the three most common types of dividends? ›

A few common types of dividends include:
  • Cash dividends. These are the most common types of dividends and are paid out by transferring a cash amount to the shareholders. ...
  • Stock dividends. ...
  • Scrip dividends. ...
  • Property dividends. ...
  • Liquidating dividends.

How often are cash dividends paid? ›

Dividends are typically issued quarterly but can also be disbursed monthly or annually. Distributions are announced in advance and determined by the company's board of directors. Companies pay dividends for a variety of reasons, most often to show their financial stability and to keep or attract investors.

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