We're smack bang in the middle of ASX earnings season right now. And with earnings comes new dividend announcements from many S&P/ASX 300 Index (ASX: XKO) shares and by extension, ex-dividend dates.
What does ex-dividend mean?
Whenever an ASX divided share announces a new dividend payment, the company must also identify an ex-dividend date to the markets. This is the date that a proverbial line in the sand is drawn between those investors who are eligible for a company's upcoming dividend and those who are not.
Put simply, if you own the shares before a company's ex-dividend date, you will receive the latest dividend. If you do not own the shares before the company goes ex-div, or buy shares on or after the date, you miss out.
That's why we tend to see a big share price loss when a dividend share trades ex-dividend. It is a reflection of this lost value for new investors.
So let's discuss six ASX 300 shares that are scheduled to trade ex-dividend before the end of this trading week.
Six ASX 300 shares that will trade ex-dividend this week
First up is ASX 300 real estate investment trust (REIT) Scentre Group (ASX: SCG). Scentre units will trade ex-dividend tomorrow, 17 August, for the upcoming interim dividend distribution of 8.25 cents per unit, unfranked. That's the same payment as the final dividend from February.
Payday is set for 31 August later this month. At present, Scentre units have a trailing dividend yield of 6.06%.
Another property share in Leandlease Group (ASX: LLC) is next up. This Friday, 18 August, is Lendlease's deadline for its upcoming final distribution, set to be worth 11.1 cents per share, partially franked at 41.95%. That's a slight increase over last year's final dividend of 11 cents.
Lendlease shareholders will then receive this latest payment on 13 September next month. Lendlese shares today offer a trailing dividend yield of 1.99%.
Let's turn to GWA Group Ltd (ASX: GWA). Earlier this week, GWA revealed that its final dividend for this year would be worth 7 cents per share, fully franked. That's a rise over the interim dividend from March worth 6 cents per share, but a drop from last year's final dividend of 8 cents per share.
This ASX 300 share will go ex-dividend on Friday this week as well, and will then pay out this dividend on 5 September next month. As it stands today, GWA shares have a dividend yield of 6.09%.
Our final three income shares to consider
Moving on to some larger ASX 300 shares, let's now look at gold miner Newcrest Mining Ltd (ASX: NCM). Newcrest surprised shareholders with its fully-franked 20 US cents per share final dividend earlier this week. If current exchange rates hold, this looks to be easily larger than the final dividend of 29.16 cents per share that we saw last year.
This dividend will be forked out next month on 18 September. But again, shareholders have until Friday's ex-dividend date to buy shares if they want to see it. Today, Newcrest shares have a dividend yield of 2.15%.
Then we have ASX 300 insurance giant QBE Insurance Ltd (ASX: QBE). Earlier this month, QBE revealed that its interim dividend for 2023 would be a payment worth 14 cents per share, partially franked at 10%. That's a lot more than last year's equivalent payment of 9 cents per share but less than the final dividend of 30 cents per share we saw earlier this year.
The ex-dividend date for this paycheque is set for tomorrow, 17 August. The dividend payday will then come on 22 September next month. Today, QBE shares offer a dividend yield of 2.9%.
Finally, let's take a look at ASX 300 industrial manufacturer Ansell Ltd (ASX: ANN). Ansell has just announced that its latest dividend will be an unfranked payment worth 25.8 US cents per share. The ex-dividend date for this dividend is set for this Friday 18 August. The payment date will then roll around on 7 September.
This payment looks like it will be slightly below last year's final dividend of 5.18 cents per share, but above the interim dividend of 29.15 cents we saw in March.
Right now, Ansell shares give us a dividend yield of 2.09%.
