Analyzing Avista's Ex-Dividend Date

Avista AVA declared a dividend payable on September 15, 2021 to its shareholders as of August 5, 2021. It was also announced that shareholders of Avista's stock as of August 19, 2021 are entitled to the dividend. The stock is expected to become ex-dividend 1 business day(s) before the record date. Avista, whose current dividend payout is $0.42, has an ex-dividend date set at August 18, 2021. The payout equates to a dividend yield of 3.95% at current price levels.

The Significance Of An Ex-Dividend Date

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. Most ex-dividend dates operate on a quarterly basis.

Understanding Avista's Dividend Performance

Over the past year, Avista has seen its dividend payouts climb upward and its yields trend downward. Last year on August 19, 2020 the company's payout sat at $0.41, which has since increased by $0.02. Avista's dividend yield last year was 4.42%, which has since decreased by 0.47%.
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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