Benzinga | Nov 11, 2020 10:21AM EST

Ex-Dividend Date Insight: Helmerich & Payne

On September 9, 2020, Helmerich & Payne (NYSE: HP) announced shareholders can expect to receive a dividend payable on December 1, 2020. The stock will then go ex-dividend 1 business day(s) before the record date. Helmerich & Payne, which has a current dividend payout of $0.25, has an ex-dividend date scheduled for November 12, 2020. That equates to a dividend yield of 6.61% at current price levels.

Understanding 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 Helmerich & Payne's Dividend History

Over the past year, Helmerich & Payne has experienced an overall downward trend regarding its dividend payouts and yields. Last year on November 7, 2019 the company's payout was $0.71, which has since decreased by $0.46. Similarly, Helmerich & Payne's dividend yield last year was 8.0%, which has since declined by 1.39%.

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 Helmerich & Payne's previous dividends.