Investors often like dividend-paying stocks because they provide ongoing income opportunities. Companies pay periodic dividends to reward shareholders and to motivate ongoing investment interest. To calculate your dividend amount, multiply the periodic dividend the company declares per share by the total amount of shares you own.
Quarterly Dividend Example
Companies typically declare dividends by the quarter or year. If your stock pays $0.20 per share each quarter, and you own 2,000 shares, multiply $0.20 by 2,000 to compute your quarterly dividend. In this case, you would receive a $400 dividend on the payout date if you were a shareholder of record on the execution date.
Annual Dividend Example
Companies may declare dividends on an annual basis, but pay them quarterly or annually. For an annual dividend, just multiply the declared amount per share by your total shares as you do with a quarterly dividend. If the company indicates an annual dividend of $1, but it makes quarterly payments, it equates to $0.25 each quarter.
References
- U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. "Dividend." Accessed June 17, 2020.
- Fidelity Investments. "What Are Dividends?" Accessed June 17, 2020.
- Corporate Finance Institute. "Important Dividend Dates." Accessed June 17, 2020.
- Corporate Finance Institute. "Dividend." Accessed June 17, 2020.
- Fidelity Investments. "Preferred Stock." Accessed June 17, 2020.
- Rice University. "Record Transactions and the Effects on Financial Statements for Cash Dividends, Property Dividends, Stock Dividends, and Stock Splits." Accessed June 17, 2020.
- Corporate Finance Institute. "Special Dividend." Accessed June 17, 2020.
- Pennsylvania Department of Revenue. "Dividends." Accessed June 17, 2020.
- Corporate Finance Institute. "Dividend Payout Ratio." Accessed June 17, 2020.
- U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. "Form 10-K Coca Cola Co." Accessed June 17, 2020.
- Charles Schwab & Co. "Dividend Yield and Dividend Growth: Fundamental Value Analytics." Accessed June 17, 2020.
- Internal Revenue Service. "Publication 550 (2019): Investment Income and Expenses (Including Capital Gains and Losses)," Page 19. Accessed June 17, 2020.
- Value Line. "Dividends Come Out of Cash Flow, Not Earnings." Accessed June 17, 2020.
- Pillsbury Law. "SEC Disclosure Update and Simplification." Accessed June 17, 2020.
- Corporate Finance Institute. "Dividend Reinvestment Plan (DRIP)." Accessed June 17, 2020.
- Robinhood. "What Is a Dividend Reinvestment Plan (DRIP)?" Accessed June 17, 2020.
- U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. "American Financial Group Inc. - Dividend Reinvestment Plan." Accessed June 17, 2020.
Writer Bio
Neil Kokemuller has been an active business, finance and education writer and content media website developer since 2007. He has been a college marketing professor since 2004. Kokemuller has additional professional experience in marketing, retail and small business. He holds a Master of Business Administration from Iowa State University.