ASX earnings season is now in full swing. This week, we have continued to hear from some of the ASX's biggest shares about how their most recent results have measured up. But with earnings season also comes fresh dividend announcements. And some ASX 200 shares are already approaching their next ex-dividend dates.
Next week, we'll see not one, not two, but seven ASX 200 shares trade ex-dividend.
A company's ex-dividend date is not the day when the dividend gets paid out. Rather, it's the date that decides who gets the latest dividend from an income share, and who misses out.
Put simply, if you own a company's shares before that company reaches its latest ex-dividend date and you still hold them when that date rolls around, then you will be in line to receive the dividend (and the attached franking credits if applicable).
But if you buy those shares on or after the ex-dividend date, the dividend payment will go to the former owner of those shares.
Because a company's shares become inherently less valuable when the company trades ex-dividend (as they no longer come with the rights to the upcoming payment), we often see a sizeable share price drop on the ex-dividend date.
7 ASX 200 shares that are about to trade ex-dividend
Here's a list of the ASX 200 shares that will cut off dividend eligibility next week:
| ASX-listed company | Dividend per share |
Ex-dividend date |
Dividend payday |
| Computershare Ltd (ASX: CPU) | $0.40 (fully franked) | 20 February | 20 March |
| Challenger Ltd (ASX: CGF) | $0.13 (fully franked) | 20 February | 19 March |
| Domain Holdings Australia Ltd (ASX: DHG) | $0.02 (fully franked) | 20 February | 11 March |
| AGL Energy Limited (ASX: AGL) | $0.26 | 21 February | 22 March |
| Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) | $2.15 (fully franked) | 21 February | 28 March |
| JB Hi-Fi Ltd (ASX: JBH) | $1.58 (fully franked) | 22 February | 8 March |
| Virgin Money UK plc (ASX: VUK) | $0.039 (estimated) | 22 February | 20 March |
So keep your eye on these ASX 200 shares next week. We'll probably see some big share price movements (and not good ones) when these stocks trade ex-dividend.
And if you want any of these upcoming dividend payments, you'd better be quick to buy these shares before their respective ex-dividend dates.
