Ex-Dividend Date Insight: Westlake Chemical

Westlake Chemical WLKP declared a dividend payable on August 26, 2021 to its shareholders as of August 2, 2021. It was also announced that shareholders of Westlake Chemical's stock as of August 12, 2021 are entitled to the dividend. The stock is expected to become ex-dividend 1 business day(s) before the record date. The ex-dividend date for Westlake Chemical will be on August 11, 2021. The company's current dividend payout is at $0.47. That equates to a dividend yield of 7.06% at current price levels.

Understanding Ex-Dividend Dates'

Ex-dividend dates are when company shares stop trading with their current dividend payouts in preparation for those companies to announce new ones. Usually, a company's ex-dividend date falls one business day before its record date. Investors should keep this in mind when purchasing stocks because buying them on or after ex-dividend dates does not qualify them to receive the declared payment. Newly declared dividends go to shareholders who have owned that stock before the ex-dividend date. Typically, companies will announce and implement new dividend yields on a quarterly basis.

Westlake Chemical's Dividend History

Over the past year, Westlake Chemical has seen its dividend payouts remain the same and its yields trend downward. Last year on August 7, 2020 the company's payout sat at $0.47, which has returned to its value today. Westlake Chemical's dividend yield last year was 9.55%, which has since decreased by 2.49%.
Companies use dividend yields in different strategic ways. Some companies may opt to not give yields altogether to reinvest in themselves. Other companies may opt to increase or decrease their yield amounts to control how their shares circulate throughout the stock market.

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