A busy day is set to be underway on the stock market, with several well-known S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) companies trading ex-dividend today.
The list includes BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP), Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX: WDS) and Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL), along with another four other ASX 200 shares.
Combined, the dividends are worth around 31 points on the ASX 200, according to IG.
That could make some of the share price moves look worse than they really are on Thursday.
Let's take a closer look.
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BHP, Woodside and Coles lead the way
BHP is easily the largest company on today's list.
The mining giant closed Wednesday at $64.65 and is trading ex-dividend for $1.39 per share, fully franked.
That means anyone buying BHP shares from today will not receive the payment, which is due to eligible shareholders on 23 September.
Woodside is another heavyweight going ex-dividend.
Its shares finished yesterday at $33.08 and are now trading without a 79.51-cent fully franked dividend attached. Woodside is due to pay shareholders on 25 September.
Coles closed Wednesday at $23.89 and has a 37-cent fully franked dividend coming off its share price today. The supermarket giant will make the payment on 22 September.
However, with all three carrying such huge index weightings, going ex-dividend is likely to put some pressure on the ASX 200 today.
4 more ASX 200 shares to watch
There are also several other payouts investors should be aware of.
Amcor Plc (ASX: AMC) closed at $64.15 and is trading ex-dividend for 92 cents per share. Unlike the other larger payouts today, the Amcor dividend is unfranked.
Ramsay Health Care Ltd (ASX: RHC) finished Wednesday at $52.38 and is going ex-dividend for 48.5 cents per share, fully franked.
Meanwhile, NIB Holdings Ltd (ASX: NHF) closed at $6.97 and is trading without its 21-cent fully franked dividend.
Rounding out the group is Sigma Healthcare Ltd (ASX: SIG), which closed at $2.71. Its latest dividend is 2 cents per share, also fully franked.
Sigma shareholders are due to receive their payment on 22 September, Ramsay on 24 September and NIB on 7 October.
What investors should keep in mind
There is a fair bit going on with the index today, so the headline move may not tell the full story.
BHP, Woodside and Coles are all large enough to have an impact, and having all 3 go ex-dividend on the same day adds some extra weight.
So, if the ASX 200 looks a bit weak, the dividend effect is worth factoring in.
