How the ex-dividend date makes you ineligible to receive the dividend? – (TOFC, LVS, SLRC, TIF, MAIN, CNH)

You may like to find answer for the question, who gets the dividend? Since shares are exchanged throughout the year, and dividends announced just a few times in a year, it becomes essential to set a date, and say that whoever owns the shares on that particular date will be able to receive the dividend. That date is called the “Record Date”, so any of you with name in the company’s books on that date will be entitled to the dividend.

Now, you may also like to know if there is another more important date. Yes, there is a one called the “Ex-Date”. There is a time gap between when you acquire a share, and when your name appears on to the company records, so if you buy shares on record date, it does not mean your name will be in the books of the company on the same date, and you won’t get the dividend. In other words, each transaction takes time to get settled. Therefore, investors need to buy the share before the Ex Date because to get ensured that there is enough time for their name to get into the company’s registers, and get them the dividend. Stocks discussed below are approaching their ex-dividend dates on December 18, 2012.

Tower Financial Corporation (NASDAQ:TOFC) currently holds a yearly dividend yield of 1.83%. The stock has traded between $7.56 – $12.77 in the past 52 weeks and has a market capitalization of $58.52 million. TOFC operates as the holding company for Tower Bank & Trust that provides commercial and consumer banking services in the metropolitan areas of Fort Wayne, Allen County, and Warsaw, Indiana.

Las Vegas Sands Corp. (NYSE:LVS) together with its subsidiaries, owns, develops, and operates various integrated resort properties primarily in the United States, Macau, and Singapore. Las Vegas Sands Corp has a dividend yield of 2.18%. The stock in the past 52 weeks has been floating in the range of $34.72 – $62.09. The company’s market capitalization stands at $37.81 billion.

Solar Capital Ltd. (NASDAQ:SLRC) has an annual dividend yield of 10.43%. The stock has traded between $20.05 and $23.89 in the last 12-months. Its market capitalization is now at $890.74 million.

Tiffany & Co. (NYSE:TIF) maintains an annual dividend yield of 2.23% and a payout ratio of 37.29%. The stock over the last 52 weeks has been trading in a range of $49.72 – $74.20. Its market capitalization stands at $7.29 billion. TIF through its subsidiaries, engages in the design, manufacture, and retail of fine jewelry worldwide.

Main Street Capital Corporation (NYSE:MAIN) is a business development company specializing in equity, equity related, and debt investments in small and lower middle market companies. Main Street Capital Corporation has an annual dividend yield of 6.29% and keeps a payout ratio at 46.60%. The stock in the prior 52 weeks has been trading between $19.40 – $30.98. The company is valued at $905.40 million.

CNH Global NV (ADR) (NYSE:CNH)’s stock in the previous 52 weeks has been hovering in range of $34.36 – $49.45. The company is worth $11.58 billion.

Disclosure: The views and opinions expressed in this article are exclusively those of the authors who have no stake in any stocks mentioned, and hold no plan to acquire any stake within the next 5 days.