Dividend
A dividend is a share of a company’s profit paid out to shareholders, usually in cash and usually on a regular schedule. It is a return you receive without selling your shares.
Companies that generate more cash than they need for reinvestment often return the surplus to shareholders as a dividend. Mature, stable businesses — utilities, banks, consumer staples — are more likely to pay one than fast-growing companies that need every available baht or dollar for expansion.
Four dates matter. The declaration date is when the board announces the payment. The ex-dividend date is the cut-off: buy on or after it and you do not receive this dividend. The record date determines who is on the register, and the payment date is when the cash actually arrives.
Dividend yield expresses the annual dividend as a percentage of the share price. A yield that looks unusually high is often a warning rather than a bargain: it can mean the share price has fallen sharply because the market doubts the dividend can be maintained.
A dividend is never guaranteed. Boards can cut or suspend payments at any time, and frequently do during downturns. The payout ratio — dividends as a share of earnings — gives a rough sense of how much room a company has to keep paying.
TrustFinance News publishes a dividends calendar covering ex-dates, record dates, and pay dates so shareholders can track upcoming payments across the market.