A special dividend is a payment made by a company to its shareholders, that the company declares to be separate from the typical recurring dividend cycle, if any, for the company.
Usually when a company raises the amount of its normal dividend, the investor expectation is that this marks a sustained increase. In the case of a special dividend, however, the company is signalling that this is a one-off payment. Therefore, special dividends do not markedly affect valuation or yield calculations, unless the amount is large—in which case they do markedly affect valuation as they are a direct and large depletion of the assets of the company. Typically, special dividends are distributed if a company has exceptionally strong earnings that it wishes to distribute to shareholders, or if it is making changes to its financial structure, such as debt ratio.
A prominent example of a special dividend was the $3 dividend announced by Microsoft in 2004, to partially relieve its balance sheet of a large cash balance.[1] A more recent example of a special dividend is the $1 dividend announced by SAIC (U.S. company) in 2013, just prior to it splitting off its solutions business into a new company named Leidos.[2] Subsequently, in 2020 NortonLifeLock Inc (NASDAQ: NLOK) paid a $12/share special dividend as part of its goal to return the after-tax proceeds from the sale of its Enterprise Security assets to Broadcom.[3]
Payment date
For special dividends, the ex-dividend date is set according to the size of the dividend in relation to the price of the security, and dividends or distributions of less than 25% are subject to the 'regular' rules for ex-dividend dates.
However, dividends or distributions of more than 25% are subject to 'special' rules for ex-dividend dates. The major difference here is that for these larger distributions or dividends, the ex-dividend date is set as the day after payment (with the day of payment being the "payment date").[4]
For these larger 'special dividends', the ex-dividend date is generally one stock trading day after the dividend payment date. The dividend payment date occurs sometime after the dividend record date. The stock will trade on an ex-distribution basis (adjusted for the amount of the dividend paid) on the trading day after the dividend payment date, and thereafter.
To be entitled to a special dividend of less than 25% of the share price, you need to be a stockholder on the record date. To be a stockholder on the record date, your purchase would need to have been made a minimum of two business days prior to the record date, and you would still have to own it on that day. The ex-dividend date, i.e. the first date in which a new buyer of shares would not be entitled to the dividend, is the business day prior to the record date (see ex-dividend date for exceptions).
In the case of a special dividend of 25% or more, however, special rules that are quite different apply. If you sell stock after the record date but before the ex-dividend date, your shares will be sold with a book entry sometimes called a "due bill", which denotes that (though the company will pay the dividend to your account, if you are the shareholder of record on the date two business days prior to the record date), your account must, in turn, turn the amount of that dividend over to the buyer of your stock. Conversely, if you buy stock after the record date but before the ex-dividend date of a large special dividend, you are entitled to the dividend and will receive it via the due bill process.
As is the case with all dividends, if you sell your stock prior to the ex-dividend date, within the due bill period, you relinquish your right to the dividend. The earliest you can sell your stock and still be entitled to the special dividend is the date the stock begins trading on an ex-distribution basis, or generally one day after the dividend payment date, on the ex-dividend date.
In simplest terms, ownership on the "record date" usually, but not always (because of the case of large special dividends), determines who is entitled to a dividend. The ex-dividend date always identifies who is ultimately entitled to receive a dividend.
Relationship to stock option contracts
Special dividends are different from regular cash dividends in that only the former cause strike prices to be adjusted on option contracts.[5] This is because special dividends are not expected, and therefore would result in an unexpected transfer of wealth from those owning call options to those who sold them (vice versa for put options).
For example, say XYZ is priced at $40 today, and has a special dividend of $1. Since call option holders are not entitled to dividends, a holder of an option to buy stock XYZ at $30 will not receive the $1 special dividend. However, after paying the cash dividend, then (all else being equal) XYZ will drop to $39, as it has paid out $1 of its value. However, the option to buy a $39 stock at $30 is worth less than the option to buy a $40 stock at $30. Therefore, option exchanges have formulas to adjust contracts appropriately when special dividends are paid out. In this case, the call option to buy at $30 will be converted to a call option to buy at $29, which will keep the option value roughly the same.
Regular cash dividends do not result in such option contract adjustments. This is because the market expects them to occur, and they are therefore priced into the option premium. In a way, the buyer of a call option for a stock that pays a regular cash dividend gets a "buyer's discount".
A dividend is a distribution of profits by a corporation to its shareholders. When a corporation earns a profit or surplus, it is able to pay a portion of the profit as a dividend to shareholders. Any amount not distributed is taken to be re-invested in the business. The current year profit as well as the retained earnings of previous years are available for distribution; a corporation is usually prohibited from paying a dividend out of its capital. Distribution to shareholders may be in cash or, if the corporation has a dividend reinvestment plan, the amount can be paid by the issue of further shares or by share repurchase. In some cases, the distribution may be of assets.
In finance, equity is an ownership interest in property that may be offset by debts or other liabilities. Equity is measured for accounting purposes by subtracting liabilities from the value of the assets owned. For example, if someone owns a car worth $24,000 and owes $10,000 on the loan used to buy the car, the difference of $14,000 is equity. Equity can apply to a single asset, such as a car or house, or to an entire business. A business that needs to start up or expand its operations can sell its equity in order to raise cash that does not have to be repaid on a set schedule.
In finance, a warrant is a security that entitles the holder to buy or sell stock, typically the stock of the issuing company, at a fixed price called the exercise price.
In finance, an equity derivative is a class of derivatives whose value is at least partly derived from one or more underlying equity securities. Options and futures are by far the most common equity derivatives, however there are many other types of equity derivatives that are actively traded.
A stock split or stock divide increases the number of shares in a company. For example, after a 2-for-1 split, each investor will own double the number of shares, and each share will be worth half as much. A stock split causes a decrease of market price of individual shares, but does not change the total market capitalization of the company: stock dilution does not occur.
A corporate action is an event initiated by a public company that brings or could bring an actual change to the securities—equity or debt—issued by the company. Corporate actions are typically agreed upon by a company's board of directors and authorized by the shareholders. For some events, shareholders or bondholders are permitted to vote on the event. Examples of corporate actions include stock splits, dividends, mergers and acquisitions, rights issues, and spin-offs.
A treasury stock or reacquired stock is stock which is bought back by the issuing company, reducing the amount of outstanding stock on the open market.
Fixed income refers to any type of investment under which the borrower or issuer is obliged to make payments of a fixed amount on a fixed schedule. For example, the borrower may have to pay interest at a fixed rate once a year and repay the principal amount on maturity. Fixed-income securities can be contrasted with equity securities that create no obligation to pay dividends or any other form of income. Bonds carry a level of legal protections for investors that equity securities do not: in the event of a bankruptcy, bond holders would be repaid after liquidation of assets, whereas shareholders with stock often receive nothing.
A dividend reinvestment program or dividend reinvestment plan (DRIP) is an equity investment option offered directly from the underlying company. The investor does not receive dividends directly as cash; instead, the investor's dividends are directly reinvested in the underlying equity. The investor must still pay tax annually on his or her dividend income, whether it is received as cash or reinvested.
The ex-dividend date is an investment term involving the timing of payment of dividends on stocks of corporations, income trusts, and other financial holdings, both publicly and privately held. The ex-date or ex-dividend date represents the date on or after which a security is traded without a previously declared dividend or distribution. The opening price on the ex-dividend date, in comparison to the previous closing price, can be expected to decrease by the amount of the dividend, although this change may be obscured by other influences on the stock's value.
A rights issue or rights offer is a dividend of subscription rights to buy additional securities in a company made to the company's existing security holders. When the rights are for equity securities, such as shares, in a public company, it can be a non-dilutive pro rata way to raise capital. Rights issues are typically sold via a prospectus or prospectus supplement. With the issued rights, existing security-holders have the privilege to buy a specified number of new securities from the issuer at a specified price within a subscription period. In a public company, a rights issue is a form of public offering.
Hybrid securities are a broad group of securities that combine the characteristics of the two broader groups of securities, debt and equity.
Capital gains tax (CGT), in the context of the Australian taxation system, is a tax applied to the capital gain made on the disposal of any asset, with a number of specific exemptions, the most significant one being the family home. Rollover provisions apply to some disposals, one of the most significant of which are transfers to beneficiaries on death, so that the CGT is not a quasi estate tax.
Share repurchase, also known as share buyback or stock buyback, is the re-acquisition by a company of its own shares. It represents an alternate and more flexible way of returning money to shareholders. When used in coordination with increased corporate leverage, buybacks can increase share prices.
In finance, an option is a contract which conveys to its owner, the holder, the right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell a specific quantity of an underlying asset or instrument at a specified strike price on or before a specified date, depending on the style of the option. Options are typically acquired by purchase, as a form of compensation, or as part of a complex financial transaction. Thus, they are also a form of asset and have a valuation that may depend on a complex relationship between underlying asset price, time until expiration, market volatility, the risk-free rate of interest, and the strike price of the option. Options may be traded between private parties in over-the-counter (OTC) transactions, or they may be exchange-traded in live, public markets in the form of standardized contracts.
Book Closure date is the date that a shareholder must hold the stock to receive certain benefits. When shares of a joint stock company invariably change hands during market trades, identifying the owner of some shares becomes difficult. So it is difficult to pass on certain benefits.
A reverse convertible security or convertible security is a short-term note linked to an underlying stock. The security offers a steady stream of income due to the payment of a high coupon rate. In addition, at maturity the owner will receive either 100% of the par value or, if the stock value falls, a predetermined number of shares of the underlying stock. In the context of structured product, a reverse convertible can be linked to an equity index or a basket of indices. In such case, the capital repayment at maturity is cash settled, either 100% of principal, or less if the underlying index falls conditional on barrier is hit in the case of barrier reverse convertibles.
Stocks consist of all the shares by which ownership of a corporation or company is divided. A single share of the stock means fractional ownership of the corporation in proportion to the total number of shares. This typically entitles the shareholder (stockholder) to that fraction of the company's earnings, proceeds from liquidation of assets, or voting power, often dividing these up in proportion to the amount of money each stockholder has invested. Not all stock is necessarily equal, as certain classes of stock may be issued, for example, without voting rights, with enhanced voting rights, or with a certain priority to receive profits or liquidation proceeds before or after other classes of shareholders.
Dividend policy is concerned with financial policies regarding paying cash dividend in the present or paying an increased dividend at a later stage. Whether to issue dividends, and what amount, is determined mainly on the basis of the company's unappropriated profit and influenced by the company's long-term earning power. When cash surplus exists and is not needed by the firm, then management is expected to pay out some or all of those surplus earnings in the form of cash dividends or to repurchase the company's stock through a share buyback program.
Corporate finance is the area of finance that deals with the sources of funding, and the capital structure of corporations, the actions that managers take to increase the value of the firm to the shareholders, and the tools and analysis used to allocate financial resources. The primary goal of corporate finance is to maximize or increase shareholder value.
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