Dividends are payments made by a company to its shareholders—here’s how they work.

However, companies sometimes pay dividends in newly issued shares. In certain cases, companies offer Dividend Reinvestment Plans (DRIPs), allowing investors to use their dividends to purchase additional shares—often at a discount. In the U.S., companies typically pay dividends quarterly. However, payments may also occur monthly or semiannually. Stocks that pay dividends Most dividend-paying companies are large-cap, mature, and financially robust enterprises. These established firms do not need to reinvest earnings back into the business as aggressively as small- or mid-cap companies—or startups—typically do. Industries with numerous dividend-paying companies—and often generous payouts—include: ・Telecommunications ・Energy / Basic Materials ・Financials ・Healthcare / Pharmaceuticals ・Utilities ・Consumer Staples Types of dividends Although all dividends originate from the same source—company earnings—their nature depends on the class of stock you hold. ・Common stock dividends are paid to owners of a company’s common stock. Their amounts fluctuate each quarter (or upon issuance). While it is in the company’s interest to maintain or grow them, neither is guaranteed. ・Preferred stock dividends are paid to owners of preferred stock. These are fixed amounts—unchanging over time. They do not decline, but they also do not increase. However, if a company faces financial distress, preferred dividends take priority over common dividends in the payment hierarchy. Occasionally, companies issue special dividends—an extra payment to common shareholders. Special dividends are typically issued by firms that have accumulated substantial cash over many years—or experienced an unexpected windfall—such as proceeds from spinning off a subsidiary. Though usually much larger than regular dividends, such ‘extra’ dividends are one-time events. Key dividend dates to know Several key dates revolve around dividends—especially those determining when shareholders become eligible to receive them. ・Announcement date: The day management declares the dividend, subject to shareholder approval. ・Record date: The cutoff date set by the company to determine which shareholders are eligible for the dividend. This is the date you must appear on the company’s books as a shareholder to qualify. ・Ex-dividend date: Per stock exchange rules, the date by which shareholders must own the stock to receive the dividend during the payout period. It is typically set one business day before the record date. Shareholders who hold the stock the business day before the ex-dividend date will receive the dividend payment; those who purchase the stock on or after the ex-dividend date will not. ・Payment date: The date the company disburses the dividend payment, and shareholders receive the funds in their brokerage accounts. Are dividends taxed? These dates matter not only for determining whether you’ll receive a dividend payment—but also for how that payment is taxed. From a tax perspective, dividends fall into two categories: ・Qualified dividends are taxed at rates similar to capital gains: 0%, 15%, or 20%. ・Non-qualified dividends are taxed as ordinary income—at your regular marginal tax rate. Naturally, the applicable rate depends on your tax bracket, but qualified rates are generally lower. Whether a dividend qualifies depends on your holding period—you must have held the stock for more than 60 days during the 121-day period beginning 60 days before the ex-dividend date. How to evaluate dividends Beyond the basic dollar amount, dividends are assessed in several ways. Dividend yield When evaluating dividends, investors focus on a stock’s dividend yield—the annual dividend amount divided by the stock price on a specific date.

Hawkins, Inc. (HWKN.US): Q3 2022 earnings report shows revenue of $187.1 million.

Hawkins, Inc. (HWKN.US): Q3 2022 earnings report shows revenue of $187.1 million, compared to $142.9 million in the prior year period and an expected $156.8 million—exceeding market expectations by 19.28%; earnings per share (EPS) were $0.48, versus $0.38 in the prior year period and an expected $0.40—exceeding market expectations by 20.00%. Company profile of Hawkins Materials (HWKN.US): Hawkins, Inc. distributes, blends, and manufactures chemicals and specialty ingredients across various industries. It operates through the following segments: Industrial, Water Treatment, and Health & Nutrition. The Industrial segment supplies industrial chemicals, products, and services to industries including agriculture, chemical processing, electronics, energy, food, pharmaceuticals, and electroplating. The Water Treatment segment provides chemicals, equipment, and solutions for drinking water, municipal wastewater, industrial wastewater, industrial process water, and non-residential swimming pool water. The Health & Nutrition segment includes ingredient distribution, processing, and formulation solutions for manufacturers of nutritional foods, functional foods and beverages, personal care products, dietary supplements, and other nutrition-, health-, and wellness-related products.

Hawkins, Inc. Raises Dividend to $0.20 Per Share

6 days ago

Hawkins, Inc., a specialty chemicals firm, raised its quarterly dividend by 5.3% to $0.20 per share while reporting strong quarterly earnings that exceeded analyst expectations.

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