Dividenda

Dividenda is a term used chiefly in historical or legal finance contexts to denote a distribution of a corporation's profits to its shareholders. In contemporary English, the term dividend is far more common, but dividenda may appear in legal texts, Latinized financial writing, or in some non-English languages. A dividenda represents a per-share payment either in cash or in kind, and it is typically proposed by a company's board of directors and approved by shareholders.

Types of dividenda include cash dividends, which pay cash per share; stock dividends, which issue additional shares instead of cash; property dividends, which distribute non-cash assets; and scrip dividends or promissory dividends, which may be issued as a right to receive future cash distributions.

Declaration and payment: The board declares the dividenda per share amount; the ex-dividend date is the first day traders must own the stock to receive the next payment. The record date identifies holders of record eligible for the payout, and the payment date is when funds or shares are delivered. Market price typically adjusts downward on the ex-date by roughly the amount of the dividenda.

Calculation and taxation: Dividenda per share equals total dividends divided by outstanding shares. Dividend yield equals annual dividend per share divided by share price. Tax treatment varies widely; dividends may be taxed as income or capital gains, and withholding taxes may apply, depending on jurisdiction.

Regulation and policy: Companies use dividend policies such as stable, progressive, or residual dividends. Dividenda payments are not guaranteed and can be omitted in poor years or during liquidity stresses. In some markets, dividends are a key signal of financial health and investor preference, alongside share buybacks.