If you want to be eligible for a dividend payment, or if you’re watching for possible share price falls, keeping up with ex-dividend dates can prove beneficial — as long as you hold the shares up to and including that day, you’ll get your money.
We have a number of companies from the FTSE 100 reaching their crucial dates next week. Here are three that will go ex-dividend next Wednesday, 3 July:
British Land
On 14 May, real-estate investment trust British Land Company (LSE: BLND) released full-year results and announced a final quarterly dividend of 6.6p per share — taking the total yearly payment up 1.1% to 26.4p per share. If you want it, you’ll need to hold your shares until 3 July.
On the current share price of 564p, British Land’s total dividend amounts to a yield of 4.7%, which is pretty good — although the share price has soared and plunged in line with the FTSE over the past few months.
Babcock
Next Wednesday is also ex-dividend day for a final 20p payment from Babcock International Group (LSE: BAB), which takes the annual payout from the engineering support firm to 26.3p per share. That’s up 16% from 2012, alongside a similar rise in earnings per share (EPS), and representing a yield of 2.4% on today’s 1,096p share price.
For the year to March 2014, the City is forecasting a minor dip in EPS, but we currently have a 5% rise in the annual dividend penciled in. Analysts are expecting a return to earnings growth in 2015.
Burberry
Our third ex-dividend share for today is Burberry Group (LSE: BRBY), which announced a final payment of 21p per share on 21 May. The purveyor of fashion enjoyed an 8% rise in revenue to £2bn and a 14% rise in adjusted pre-tax profit to £428m. And that, in addition to an 8% rise in operating cashflow, supported a 16% rise in the firm’s total dividend to 29p per share.
The dividend yield, at 2.2% based on the current share price of 1,325p, is relatively low, but it is rising steadily year on year.
Finally, dividends like these can add nicely to your investment returns — they can be spent or reinvested according to your needs. Whether investing for income or growth, good old cash is always welcome.
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> Alan does not own any shares mentioned in this article. The Motley Fool has recommended shares in Burberry.