A dividend is a distribution of a portion of a company's earnings. Companies can choose to regularly reward their shareholders by paying dividends, usually in cash ... provided you do not withdraw ...

In some cases, a company's dividend may exceed its earnings per share. Many well-known Fortune 500 companies have paid dividends in years where they posted negative EPS.

To receive a dividend, own the stock before the ex-dividend date. Dividends are mostly paid in cash ... do so quarterly. In addition to when, it's also important to know how you'll get paid.

When the dividends these stocks pay are reinvested, an investor's wealth snowballs. The more dividends you reinvest ... in cash and are often larger than regular dividend payments. Why Do People ...

Dividends are a regular payout of your share of company profits when you ... cash payments or stock dividends. How Dividends ...