Dividend

Dividend in United States

Dividend Definition

A portion of the principal or profits divided among several owners of a thing. The term is usually applied to the division of the profits -according to the definition of Dividend based on the Cyclopedic Law Dictionary– arising out of bank or other stodts, or to the division among the creditors of the effects of an insolvent estate. In another sense, according to some old authorities, it signifies one part of an indenture. A corporate profit set aside, declared and ordered by the directors to be paid to the stockholders on demand or at a fixed time. A cash dividend is a disbursement to the stockholder of accumulated earnings, and the corporation at once parts irrevocably with all interest therein. But a stock dividend involves no disbursement by the corporation. It parts with nothing, and the stockholder receives merely certificates of stock which evidence, with his former shares, his interest in the entire capital. Stock dividends represent an addition from accrued earnings to the capital of the company; but they do not represent income, but merely additions to the source of income (see Hale, Private Corporations, page 227). More concepts of Dividend in the legal Dictionaries.

Practical Information

That portion of the profits and surplus funds of a corporation (in U.S. law) that has actually been set aside by a valid act of the corporation for distribution among the stockholders of record on a fixed day, in proportion to their holdings. The declaration of a dividend and the fixing of the amount, time, and terms of payment rest generally in the discretion of the board of directors (in U.S. law). (Revised by Ann De Vries)

Legal Materials

A dividend is money paid by a corporation to its shareholders out of corporate profits.

Public company dividends are generally announced in press releases and then reported on the business newswires. You can search back in a database of business news to find these articles.

For a better view of the big picture, public company dividends are reported in Moody’sAnnual Dividend Record, CCH’s Capital Changes Reporter and Standard & Poor’s Weekly Dividend Record.

You can also look up dividend information for a particular company on Factiva or Lexis (in the “Quotes” library).

For custom reports, you can contact the Center for Research in Securities Prices (Custom@crsp.ChicagoBooth.edu or 312-263-6400 select #5). Subscribers can search the database directly.

Dividend in Foreign Legal Encyclopedias

For starting research in the law of a foreign country:

Link Description
Dividend Dividend in the World Legal Encyclopedia.
Dividend Dividend in the European Legal Encyclopedia.
Dividend Dividend in the Asian Legal Encyclopedia.
Dividend Dividend in the UK Legal Encyclopedia.
Dividend Dividend in the Australian Legal Encyclopedia.

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Browse the American Encyclopedia of Law for Dividend

Scan Dividend in the appropriate area of law:

Link Description
Dividend Dividend in the Commercial Law Portal of the American Encyclopedia of Law.
Dividend Dividend in the Tax Law Portal of the American Encyclopedia of Law.
Dividend Dividend in the and Finance and Banking Portal of the American Encyclopedia of Law.

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Other Popular Tax Concepts

See Also

Stock Exchanges
Stock Prices
Stock Splits
Stock Swaps

Equity Dividend Rate in the context of Real Estate

Resurces

See Also

  • Cash-On-Cash

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