How our numbers work

What Dividend101 shows, where it comes from and how it is calculated, so you know how much to rely on each figure.

Where the data comes from

Prices, dividend amounts, ex-dividend dates and dividend history come from third-party market-data providers, combined with our own calculations. We store a copy and refresh it automatically, at least daily for stocks on a watchlist. Data can be delayed (prices are typically the latest close or a delayed quote), incomplete or wrong.

Ex-dividend date and the last day to buy

The ex-dividend date is the first day a stock trades without its next dividend. We show the last day to buy as the business day before it. We do not model market holidays, so check the calendar if a holiday is close.

Payment dates

Companies often announce the payment date with or after the ex-dividend date. When it has been announced we show it as is. Until then we estimate it from that stock's usual gap between its ex-dividend and payment dates (or 14 days when we don't know its usual gap yet), and label it as an estimate.

Payment frequency

We read frequency from the gaps between recent ex-dividend dates: weekly, every two weeks, twice a month, monthly, quarterly, twice a year or yearly.

Annual dividend and yield

For monthly and more frequent payers, the annual dividend is the average of the last four payments multiplied by the payments per year. For quarterly and less frequent payers it is the total paid over the last 12 months. Yield is the annual dividend divided by the share price.

Income projections

Income is projected from the shares you enter, the next ex-dividend date and the stock's frequency, assuming the latest dividend continues. It is an estimate of the next 12 months, not a promise: companies can raise, cut or skip dividends.

Currencies

Each stock is shown in its own currency. Income totals convert other currencies to US dollars at approximate current exchange rates.

Dividend safety rating

Where earnings data exists we show High, Medium or Low from the payout ratio (below 55%, 55 to 78%, above 78%). It is a quick screen and does not replace your own research. See the payout ratio guide.

Found something that looks wrong? Tell us. We check every report.