Benzinga | Jan 22, 2021 10:33AM EST

Ex-Dividend Date Insight: Saratoga Investment

On January 5, 2021, Saratoga Investment (NYSE:SAR) announced shareholders can expect to receive a dividend payable on February 10, 2021. The stock will then go ex-dividend 1 business day(s) before the record date. Saratoga Investment has an ex-dividend date set for for January 25, 2021. The company's current dividend payout is $0.42, which equates to a dividend yield of 8.22% at current price levels.

The Significance Of An Ex-Dividend Date

An ex-dividend date signals when a company's shares cease to trade with its current dividend payout. There is a small intermission period before the company announces a new dividend. 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.

Saratoga Investment's Dividend Performance

Over the past year, Saratoga Investment has seen its dividend payouts and yields descend downward overall. Last year on September 12, 2019 the company's payout sat at $0.56, which has since decreased by $0.14. Saratoga Investment's dividend yield last year was 9.0%, which has since declined by 0.78%.

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 Saratoga Investment's previous dividends.