Benzinga | Feb 4, 2021 11:27AM EST

Ex-Dividend Date Insight: Westamerica Banc

On January 28, 2021, Westamerica Banc (NASDAQ:WABC) announced shareholders can expect to receive a dividend payable on February 19, 2021. The stock will then go ex-dividend 1 business day(s) before the record date. The ex-dividend date for Westamerica Banc will be on February 5, 2021. The company's current dividend payout is at $0.41. That equates to a dividend yield of 2.87% 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. Most ex-dividend dates operate on a quarterly basis.

Westamerica Banc's Dividend Payouts And Yields

Over the past year, Westamerica Banc has seen its dividend payouts remain the same and its yields climb upward overall. Last year on January 31, 2020 the company's payout sat at $0.41, which has returned to its value today. Westamerica Banc's dividend yield last year was 2.47%, which has since grown by 0.4%.

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 Westamerica Banc's previous dividends.