Tag: SCHW

If You Own a Slice of a Share, Can You Vote on Shareholder Proposals?

by Fred Fuld III

Many beginning investors, and many investors with a moderate amount of money to invest, choose to buy a slice of a share of stock instead of a whole share or several shares. This is especially true with high priced shares, such as Autozone (AZO) which sells for over $3500 per share, Netflix (NFLX) which trades at about $950 a share, and Costco (COST) which is selling at almost $900 per share. Even the tax software company Intuit (INTU) currently trades at $600 a share.

For someone that only has $500 to $5,000 to invest, this is a big chunk of money to allocate to one stock even if they purchase only one share.

Fortunately, most stock brokerage firms, such as Schwab (SCHW), Fidelity, SoFi (SOFI), and Robinhood (HOOD) allow investors to buy slices of shares. So what is a slice?

A “slice of a share,” also known as a fractional share, is a portion of a whole share of stock, allowing investors to own a piece of a company without having to invest the full price of a single share.
Here’s a more detailed explanation:
What it is:
A fractional share represents a percentage of a whole share, enabling investors to invest smaller amounts of money in companies they’re interested in.
How it works:
If a stock costs $500 per share, an investor could buy a fractional share for, say, $10, representing 2% of a whole share.
Why it’s useful:
Fractional shares can make investing more accessible, especially for beginners or those with smaller budgets, as they allow investors to put their money to work even if they don’t have enough to buy a full share.
Brokerage offerings:
Many brokerages now offer fractional shares, allowing investors to purchase portions of stocks or ETFs.
Charles Schwab:
For example, Charles Schwab refers to fractional shares as “Schwab Stock Slices” and allows investors to buy slices of 30 stocks in companies on the S&P 500 in one transaction.
Fidelity:
Fidelity also offers fractional shares, allowing investors to invest in stocks and ETFs in fractions or dollars.
Dividends and corporate actions:
When you own fractional shares, you’ll still receive dividends and participate in other corporate actions (like stock splits) based on the percentage of a whole share you own.
Shareholder Proposal Voting Rights:
Your ability to exercise voting rights will depend on how your brokerage firm’s fractional share investing program works. However, based on my experience, I was offered the ability to vote on corporate actions and proposals.

My Personal Experience:

I decided to try this out with a popular stock that sells for over $500 per share. I invested an extremely small amount, which gave me ownership of 0.05442 of a share. That’s slightly over 5% of a share, or in other words, about one twentieth of a share.

Just yesterday, I received the request to vote my shares, or should I say, my portion of a share, which I did. There was voting for the board of directors and voting on various shareholder proposals.

This company also offers a couple of benefits to shareholders which I am also entitled to. Such a deal.

This particular stock doesn’t pay a dividend, but if it did, I would be entitled to my share.

So in answer to the question asked in the title of this article, the answer is YES.

Disclosure: Author didn’t own any of the above mentioned stocks at the time the article was written.

Stocks Going Ex Dividend in November 2023

The following is a short list of some of the many stocks going ex-dividend during the next month, which can be helpful for traders and investors interested in the stock trading technique known as “Buying Dividends” or “Dividend Capture.” This strategy involves purchasing stocks before the ex dividend date and selling them shortly after the ex-date at a similar price, while still being eligible to receive the dividend payment.

Although this technique generally proves effective in bull markets and flat or choppy markets, it is advisable to exercise caution and consider avoiding this strategy during bear markets. To qualify for the dividend, it is necessary to buy the stock before the ex-dividend date and refrain from selling it until on or after the ex-date.

However, it is important to note that the actual dividend may not be paid for several weeks, as the payment date can be delayed by up to two months after the ex-date.

For investors seeking a comprehensive list of stocks going ex-dividend in the near future, WallStreetNewsNetwork.com has compiled a downloadable list containing numerous dividend-paying companies. Here are a few examples showcasing the stock symbol, ex-dividend date, periodic dividend amount, and annual yield.

Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST)11/2/20231.020.74%
Citigroup, Inc. (C)11/3/20230.535.34%
Las Vegas Sands Corp. (LVS)11/6/20230.200.84%
Starbucks Corporation (SBUX)11/9/20230.572.41%
Charles Schwab Corporation (SCHW)11/9/20230.252.01%
Paychex, Inc. (PAYX)11/13/20230.893.04%
Johnson & Johnson (JNJ)11/20/20231.193.15%
Discover Financial Services (DFS)11/21/20230.703.33%
Applied Materials, Inc. (AMAT)11/22/20230.320.95%
Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (GS)11/29/20232.753.68%
Coca-Cola Company (KO)11/30/20230.463.40%

To access the entire list of over 100 ex-dividend stocks, subscribers will receive an email in the next couple days with the full list. If you are not already a subscriber, you can sign up using the provided signup box below. Don’t miss out on this valuable information, and the best part is that it’s free!

Dividend Definitions

To better understand the dividend-related terms, let’s define them:

Declaration date: This refers to the day when a company announces its intention to distribute a dividend in the future.
Ex-dividend date: On this day, if you purchase the stock, you would not be eligible to receive the upcoming dividend. It is also the first day on which a shareholder can sell their shares and still receive the dividend.
Record date: This marks the day when you must be recorded on the company’s books as a shareholder to qualify for the dividend. Typically, the ex-dividend date is set two business days prior to the record date.
Payment date: This is the day on which the dividend payment is actually made to the eligible shareholders. It’s important to note that the payment date can be as long as two months after the ex-date.

Before implementing the “Buying Dividends” technique, it is crucial to reconfirm the ex-dividend date with the respective company to ensure accuracy and avoid any unexpected changes.

In conclusion, being aware of the stocks going ex-dividend can be advantageous for traders and investors employing the “Buying Dividends” strategy. WallStreetNewsNetwork.com provides a convenient resource to access a comprehensive list of such stocks, allowing individuals to plan their investment decisions effectively. Remember to stay informed and consider market conditions before employing any investment strategy.

Disclosure: Author did not own any of the above at the time the article was written.

Stocks Going Ex Dividend in May 2022

The following is a short list of some of the many stocks going ex dividend during the next month.

Many traders and investors use the stock trading technique called ‘Buying Dividends,’ also commonly referred to as ‘Dividend Capture.’ This is the strategy of buying stocks before the ex dividend date and selling the stock shortly after the ex date at about the same price, yet still being entitled to the dividend.

This technique generally works in bull markets and flat or choppy markets, but you need to avoid the strategy during bear markets. In order to be entitled to the dividend, you have to buy the stock before the ex-dividend date, and you can’t sell the stock until after the ex date.

The actual dividend may not be paid for another few weeks. WallStreetNewsNetwork.com has compiled a downloadable and sortable list of the stocks going ex dividend in the near future. The list contains many dividend paying companies, lots with market caps over $500 million, and some with yields over 2%. Here are a few examples showing the stock symbol, the ex-dividend date, the periodic dividend amount, and the yield.

Anheuser-Busch Inbev SA (BUD) 5/3/2022 0.407 0.95%
Levi Strauss & Co (LEVI) 5/5/2022 0.10 2.12%
Wells Fargo & Company (WFC) 5/5/2022 0.25 2.29%
Walmart Inc. (WMT) 5/5/2022 0.56 1.46%
American Electric Power Co. (AEP) 5/9/2022 0.78 3.05%
Honeywell International Inc. (HON) 5/12/2022 0.98 2.06%
Starbucks Corporation (SBUX) 5/12/2022 0.49 2.63%
Charles Schwab Corp (SCHW) 5/12/2022 0.20 1.21%
Exxon Mobil Corporation (XOM) 5/12/2022 0.88 4.13%
Amgen Inc. (AMGN) 5/16/2022 1.94 3.33%
Target Corporation (TGT) 5/17/2022 0.90 1.57%
Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) 5/23/2022 1.13 2.50%
The Kraft Heinz Company (KHC) 5/26/2022 0.40 3.75%
Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (GS) 5/31/2022 2.00 2.62%

The additional ex-dividend stocks can be found HERE . (If you have been to the page before, and the latest link doesn’t show up, you may have to empty your cache.) If you like dividend stocks, you should check out some of the other high yield stock lists at WSTNN.com HERE .

Dividend definitions:

Declaration date: the day that the company declares that there is going to be an upcoming dividend.

Ex-dividend date: the day on which if you buy the stock, you would not be entitled to that particular dividend; or the first day on which a shareholder can sell the shares and still be entitled to the dividend.

Record date: the day when you must be on the company’s books as a shareholder to receive the dividend. The ex-dividend date is normally set for stocks at two business days before the record date.

Payment date: the day on which the dividend payment is actually made, which can be as long at two months after the ex date.

Don’t forget to reconfirm the ex-dividend date with the company before implementing this technique.

Disclosure: Author did not own any of the above at the time the article was written; affiliate links are on this page.

TD Ameritrade Eliminating Commissions for Stocks, ETFs, and Options

by Fred Fuld III

You have probably already heard the news that Schwab (SCHW) is eliminating all commissions on stocks. This caused all the other brokerage firms to drop in price due to the fear that customers will be transferring their accounts over to Schwab. TD Ameritrade (AMTD) dropped in price by 25% today in response to the news.

However, TD Ameritrade didn’t waste any time in responding. They are also slashing their prices on commissions to zero on stocks, ETFs, and options, as of October 3.

What will be next? Getting paid to trade at a broker?

Disclosure: Author didn’t own any of the above at the time the article was written.