Understanding Portland General Electric's Ex-Dividend Date

On October 28, 2020, Portland General Electric POR declared a dividend payable on January 15, 2021 to its shareholders. Portland General Electric also announced that shareholders on the company's books on or before December 28, 2020 are entitled to the dividend. The stock will then go ex-dividend 2 business day(s) before the record date. The ex-dividend date for Portland General Electric is set for December 24, 2020. The company's current dividend payout sits at $0.41, equating to a dividend yield of 4.01% at current price levels.

The Significance Of Ex-Dividend Dates

Ex-dividend dates signal when company shares cease to trade with their current dividend payouts. There is a small intermission period before companies announce new dividends. Usually, a company's ex-dividend date falls one business day before its record date. Investors should keep this in mind when purchasing stocks because buying them on or after ex-dividend dates does not qualify them to receive the declared payment. Newly declared dividends go to shareholders who have owned that stock before the ex-dividend date. Typically, companies will announce and implement new dividend yields on a quarterly basis.

Portland General Electric's Dividend History

Over the past year, Portland General Electric has seen its dividend payouts and yields climb upward overall. Last year (December 24, 2019), the company's payout sat at $0.39, which has since increased by $0.02. Portland General Electric's dividend yield last year was 2.74%, which has since grown by 1.27%.
Companies use dividend yields in different strategic ways. Some companies may opt to not give yields altogether to reinvest in themselves. Other companies may opt to increase or decrease their yield amounts to control how their shares circulate throughout the stock market.

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