If you do wish to account for this, enter the value of the dividend payment with a negative sign on the date a stock goes ex-dividend, and add the number back in when the dividend is received.

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When companies declare a dividend, they choose the amount per share, the date the stock will go ex-dividend, and the date payment will be made to shareholders of record.

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Stock prices readjust on the ex-dividend date to reflect the pending payment, and there is no guarantee the shares won't slip below the trader's breakeven point, resulting in losses.

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Warning: To get the new 15% rate, you must hold a stock for 61 of the 120 days surrounding the date it goes ex-dividend: that is, starts trading without an upcoming dividend attached.

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With a more modest dividend yield than many ex-CRTs, Baytex has managed to grow production and this has enabled the stock to be a standout among its peers.

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