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Is Dividend Policy Important

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Is dividend policy important?
Shareholders look into the capability of companies to initiate a dividend. Dividends are payments made by a company to a shareholder usually after a company earns a profit. Since dividends are money divided to shareholders after a profit, it is not considered a business expense but a sharing of recognized assets among shareholders. Dividends are either paid regularly or can be called out anytime. Consequently, a dividend policy is a set of company rules and guidelines used to decide how much the company will pay out to its shareholders. A dividend policy is first known as a heavy factor in a company’s stock value. However, more scholars are suggesting that corporate dividend policies do not matter and should not matter in a company’s stock value. Arguments against dividend policies start from the fact that investors can create their own dividends on other investment option. A wise investor can look at more stable bonds to earn a return of investment rather than a dividend policy that can fluctuate. Secondly, earning from dividends is taxed higher than capital gains. For these reasons, investors are not lured to relative corporate dividend policies of companies as an accurate value of their stock. Some companies believe that a no-dividend policy is just as sound as companies with a dividend policy. Companies without a dividend policy can use their profit earnings to reinvest and expand the company shares or buy assets. Having a dividend policy foregoes these opportunities. For people who value profit certainty of a company, a sound dividend policy is important. It follows that a high and regular corporate dividend policy means that companies have a benchmark for doing well. Therefore, more dividends can equate to the overall health of the company. Dividend policies are more valuable to small companies or cooperatives with excess

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