- A corporation pays dividends to its shareholders out of corporate profits. A large dividend increase typically signals a significant increase in profits. For example, Exxon and Chevron shares may offer large dividend increases when oil prices are particularly high.
A corporation will document its history of dividend payment increases through annual reports and graphs. For detailed information, you may visit the company's official website and pull up the investor relations tab. - Dividends are generally paid and quoted in quarterly, per share amounts. A large dividend increase may add at least 10 percent worth of payments to the last quarterly dividend.
A large dividend increase should also be reflected within a corporation's dividend yield. To calculate dividend yield and take it as a percentage, divide a stock's expected annual dividend by its current share price. For example, a $100 stock that pays out a $1 quarterly dividend features a 4 percent dividend yield ($4 annual dividend / $100 share price). - Financial managers are entrusted to make decisions on whether to pay out cash profits as dividends, or to reinvest the money back into the business. Smaller companies usually pay minimal dividends, if any. Emerging businesses are more concerned with retaining earnings to finance growth. Mature companies, however, are more likely to pay out higher dividends to shareholders because they operate with less opportunity for expansion. A large increase in dividends might signal that a company has transitioned out of its growth stage and is now a mature company.
- A high dividend yield does not necessarily translate into a dividend increase. Again, dividend yield divides a stock's expected annual dividend by its current share price. A corporation's dividend yield therefore increases as its stock price declines. Ironically, an abnormally high dividend yield may indicate financial distress. At that point, the stock's price could have collapsed toward zero en route toward bankruptcy. Prior to bankruptcy, a corporation is likely to eliminate its dividend altogether, as it struggles with flagging sales, mounting losses and high levels of debt. A corporation is under no legal obligation to make dividend payments.
- It is important that you diversify to secure stable dividend payments and allow for growth. Your diversified portfolio may include small and large capitalization index mutual funds. In recession, your large capitalization mutual fund should continue making dividend payments to stabilize your investment returns. When the economy recovers, your small capitalization fund will turn in strong capital gains, while the large cap fund offers significant dividend increases.
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