Dividend

Dividend

A portion of a company's profit paid to common and preferred shareholders. A stock selling for $20 a share with an annual dividend of $1 a share yields the investor 5%.

Copyright © 2012, Campbell R. Harvey. All Rights Reserved.

Dividend

A portion of a publicly-traded company or fund's earnings that is distributed to shareholders. The amount of earnings distributed as dividends is usually determined by the board of directors and divided by the number of shares, but preferred stock often has guaranteed dividends. Dividends exist in order to encourage investment in the company and to allow shareholders (who are really co-owners) to participate in the profits. A rapidly expanding company often pays little or nothing in dividends, as most of its earnings are reinvested in the company. On the other hand, a well-established company with solid profits likely pays relatively high dividends.

Farlex Financial Dictionary. © 2012 Farlex, Inc. All Rights Reserved

dividend

A share of a company's net profits distributed by the company to a class of its stockholders. The dividend is paid in a fixed amount for each share of stock held. Although most companies make quarterly payments in cash (checks), dividends also may be in the form of property, scrip, or stock. Unlike interest on a debt, dividends must be voted on by the company's directors before each payment. See also bond dividend, capital dividend, cash dividend, consent dividend, constructive dividend, declaration date, declared dividend, ex-dividend date, final dividend, illegal dividend, interim dividend, liability dividend, liquidating dividend, optional dividend, stock dividend.

Wall Street Words: An A to Z Guide to Investment Terms for Today's Investor by David L. Scott. Copyright © 2003 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. All rights reserved.

Dividend.

Corporations may pay part of their earnings as dividends to you and other shareholders as a return on your investment. These dividends, which are often declared quarterly, are usually in the form of cash, but may be paid as additional shares or scrip.

You may be able to reinvest cash dividends automatically to buy additional shares if the corporation offers a dividend reinvestment program (DRIP).

Dividends are taxable unless you own the investment through a tax-deferred account, such as an employer sponsored retirement plan or individual retirement account. That applies whether you reinvest them or not.

However, dividends on most US and many international stocks are considered qualifying dividends. That means you owe tax at your long-term capital gains rate, provided you have owned the stocks the required length of time.

Dividends on real estate investment trusts (REITs), mutual savings banks, and certain other investments aren't considered qualifying and are taxed at your regular rate.

Dictionary of Financial Terms. Copyright © 2008 Lightbulb Press, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

dividend

a payment made by a JOINT-STOCK COMPANY to its SHAREHOLDERS for providing SHARE CAPITAL. Dividends are a distribution of the after-tax PROFITS of the company, and are paid in proportion to the number of shares held. Generally the directors of a company will decide to pay out only a proportion of after-tax profit as dividends, reinvesting the remaining profits in the business (see RETAINED PROFIT).

The DIRECTORS may pay an interim dividend during the accounting period then recommend a final rate of dividend per share for approval by shareholders at the ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING, this final dividend being paid after the AGM. In the UK dividends are paid net of income tax, though shareholders receive a tax credit for the amount of tax deducted by the company from their dividends, which must be added to the net dividends received to establish the shareholder's gross taxable dividend income (see CORPORATION TAX).

Collins Dictionary of Business, 3rd ed. © 2002, 2005 C Pass, B Lowes, A Pendleton, L Chadwick, D O’Reilly and M Afferson

dividend

a payment made by a JOINT-STOCK COMPANY to its SHAREHOLDERS for providing SHARE CAPITAL. Dividends are a distribution of the PROFITS of the company

Collins Dictionary of Economics, 4th ed. © C. Pass, B. Lowes, L. Davies 2005

Dividend

A stockholder's share of the profits of a corporation. An insurance dividend is not a true dividend but a return of premium. Dividends from a savings and loan association or credit union are interest, not dividends.

Copyright © 2008 H&R Block. All Rights Reserved. Reproduced with permission from H&R Block Glossary