I've received questions recently about all the stock dividend dates, so I thought I would clarify them for you. In addition, for those who are interested in 'buying dividends,' I have listed the stocks going ex-dividend during the first two weeks of July. Here's what each of the dividend dates mean:

• Declaration date: The day that the company declares that there is going to be an upcoming dividend.
• Ex-dividend date: The day on which if you buy the stock, you would not be entitled to that particular dividend; or the first day on which a shareholder can sell the shares and still be entitled to the dividend.
• Record date: The day when you must be on the company's books as a shareholder to receive the dividend. The ex-dividend date is normally set for stocks two business days before the record date.
• Payment date: The day on which the dividend payment is actually made, which can be as long at two months after the ex date.

Below is a list of stocks going ex-dividend during the first two weeks of July:

• JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM) 7/1/2008 3.93% P/E: 10.4263, PEG: 1.203.
• SYSCO Corporation (SYY) 7/1/2008 2.99% P/E: 16.8408, PEG: 1.2955.
• Tate & Lyle PLC (TATYY.PK) 7/1/2008 3.32% P/E: 17.991, PEG: 2.9018.
• Bristol Myers Squibb Co. (BMY) 7/2/2008 6.22% P/E: 19.4786, PEG: 2.0873.
• Gentex Corporation (GNTX) 7/3/2008 2.60% P/E: 18.9321, PEG: 1.0716.
• Toronto-Dominion Bank (TD) 7/7/2008 3.58% P/E: 12.1352, PEG: 1.2575.
• Ethan Allen Interiors Inc. (ETH) 7/8/2008 3.29% P/E: 12.02, PEG: 1.1181.
• Lincoln National Corporation (LNC) 7/8/2008 3.34% P/E: 11.0073, PEG: 1.1007.
• Progress Energy, Inc. (PGN) 7/8/2008 5.74% P/E: 15.8925, PEG: 2.6695.
• Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ) 7/8/2008 4.71% P/E: 18.6114, PEG: 2.1128.
• West Coast Bancorp (WCBO) 7/9/2008 5.42% P/E: 14.9482, PEG: 1.3548.
• Whole Foods Market, Inc. (WFMI) 7/9/2008 3.01% P/E: 23.0432, PEG: 1.260.
• Gevity HR, Inc. (GVHR) 7/11/2008 3.44% P/E: 24.4908, PEG: 2.7212.
• Lithia Motors, Inc. (LAD) 7/11/2008 9.21% P/E: 7.8222, PEG: 0.6902.
• Oxford Industries, Inc. (OXM) 7/11/2008 3.27% P/E: 13.0653, PEG: 1.0594.
• Shaw Communications Inc. (SJR) 7/11/2008 3.61% P/E: 22.4132, PEG: 1.293.
• Abbott Laboratories (ABT) 7/11/2008 2.66% P/E: 21.9705, PEG: 1.8529 .
• The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc. (BONT) 7/11/2008 3.13% P/E: 19.9036, PEG: 1.1058.
• Corus Entertainment Inc. (CJR) 7/11/2008 3.14% P/E: 13.1121, PEG: 0.904.
• McGrath RentCorp (MGRC) 7/14/2008 3.13% P/E: 14.8498, PEG: 0.9281 .
• Quaker Chemical Corporation (KWR) 7/15/2008 3.02% P/E: 18.1866, PEG: 1.0104.
• CBRL Group, Inc. (CBRL) 7/16/2008 2.70% P/E: 8.8124, PEG: 0.8474.

Disclosure: The author doesn't own any of the above.

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