Benzinga | Jan 7, 2021 10:13AM EST

Ex-Dividend Date Insight: Universal

Universal (NYSE:UVV) declared a dividend payable on February 1, 2021 to its shareholders as of November 5, 2020. It was also announced that shareholders of Universal's stock as of January 11, 2021 are entitled to the dividend. The stock is expected to become ex-dividend 1 business day(s) before the record date. Universal, which has a current dividend per share of $0.77, has an ex-dividend date scheduled for January 8, 2021. That equates to a dividend yield of 7.62% at current price levels.

What Are 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.

Understanding Universal's Dividend Performance

Over the past year, Universal has seen its dividend payouts and yields climb upward overall. Last year (January 10, 2020), the company's payout sat at $0.76, which has since increased by $0.01. Universal's dividend yield last year was 5.38%, which has since grown by 2.24%.

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.

Click here to find details on Universal's previous dividends.