10 Notable Stocks Trading Ex-Dividend Tuesday, December 13

It’s critical to know whether a stock you plan on buying has an ex-dividend status, because in case it does, the dividend would be paid out to the seller. The person who owns the stock on the ex-dividend date will be awarded the payment, which means that you’ll have to wait for the next dividend cycle to receive your first dividend payout from the company.

On the other hand, share prices typically decline just after the ex-dividend date is declared, and usually by an amount equal to the expected dividend. So, this may give you the opportunity to identify a good entry point. If you’re planning on selling shares on or after the ex-dividend date, you'll receive the dividend payout from the company.

Here is the list of stocks going ex-dividend on Tuesday.

• Merck & Co., Inc. MRK - $0.4700 dividend, 3.0177 percent yield. Merck shares have climbed 17.30 percent over the past 52 weeks, while the S&P 500 index has gained 11.75 percent in the same period.
• Albemarle Corporation ALB - $0.3050 dividend, 1.4558 percent yield. Albemarle, based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, develops, manufactures, and markets engineered specialty chemicals worldwide.
• Gilead Sciences, Inc. GILD - $0.4700 dividend, 2.5533 percent yield. Gilead Sciences shares have dropped 27.65 percent over the past 52 weeks, while the S&P 500 index has gained 11.75 percent in the same period.
• Huntsman Corporation HUN - $0.1250 dividend, 2.7086 percent yield. Huntsman, based in The Woodlands, Texas, manufactures and sells differentiated organic and inorganic chemical products worldwide.
• Sonic Automotive Inc SAH - $0.0500 dividend, 1.1173 percent yield. Sonic Automotive shares have declined 1.76 percent over the past 52 weeks, while the S&P 500 index has gained 11.75 percent in the same period.
• Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. TMO - $0.1500 dividend, 0.3946 percent yield. Thermo Fisher Scientific, based in Waltham, Massachusetts, was founded in 1956.
• Owens & Minor, Inc. OMI - $0.2550 dividend, 3.1433 percent yield. Owens & Minor shares have slipped 1.48 percent over the past 52 weeks, while the S&P 500 index has gained 11.75 percent in the same period.
• Comerica Incorporated CMA - $0.2300 dividend, 1.7692 percent yield. Comerica, based in Dallas, Texas, provides various financial products and services.
• Motorola Solutions Inc MSI - $0.4700 dividend, 2.6371 percent yield. Motorola Solutions shares have surged 21.50 percent over the past 52 weeks, while the S&P 500 index has gained 11.75 percent in the same period.
• Chesapeake Utilities Corporation CPK - $0.3050 dividend, 1.9304 percent yield. Chesapeake Utilities, based in Dover, Delaware, engages in various energy and other businesses.