The number of dividend paying firms has been on the decline since the popularity of stock repurchases in the 1980s, and the recent financial crisis has brought about a wave of dividend reductions and omissions. This dissertation examined the U.S. firms and American Depository Receipts that are listed on the U.S. equity exchanges according to their dividend paying history in the previous twelve quarters. While accounting for the state of the economy, the firm’s size, profitability, earned equity, and growth opportunities, it determines whether or not the firm will pay a dividend in the next quarter. It also examined the likelihood of a dividend change. Further, returns of firms were examined according to their dividend paying history and the state of the economy using the Fama-French three-factor model. Using forward, backward, and step-wise selection logistic regressions, the results show that firms with a history of regular and uninterrupted dividend payments are likely to continue to pay dividends, while firms that do not have a history of regular dividend payments are not likely to begin to pay dividends or continue to do so. The results of a set of generalized polytomous logistic regressions imply that dividend paying firms are more likely to reduce dividend payments during economic expansions, as opposed to recessions. Also the analysis of returns using the Fama-French three factor model reveals that dividend paying firms are earning significant abnormal positive returns. As a special case, a similar analysis of dividend payment and dividend change was applied to American Depository Receipts that trade on the NYSE, NASDAQ, and AMEX exchanges and are issued by the Bank of New York Mellon. Returns of American Depository Receipts were examined using the Fama-French two-factor model for international firms. The results of the generalized polytomous logistic regression analyses indicate that dividend paying status and economic conditions are also important for dividend level change of American Depository Receipts, and Fama-French two-factor regressions alone do not adequately explain returns for these securities.

This paper examines the effects of dividend announcements and dividend payments on OMX30 stock prices and tests if these effects indicate market efficiency. An event study methodology is used to find if the dividend events have a significant impact on stock prices. The study finds that both dividend announcements and dividend payments have a significant negative effect on prices. Disappointed investors or lowered expectations for future dividends may be the cause of the announcement effect. The results indicate that the stock market is semi-strong efficient for the announcements but inefficient when it comes to the payments.

La thèse vise à identifier, dans un premier temps, l’influence du timing de versement des dividendes des sociétés françaises cotées sur les cours boursiers. Elle cherche à identifier, dans un deuxième temps, les déterminants du timing de versement des dividendes. La démarche retenue pour argumenter ces propos est la suivante : dans une première partie, nous avons posé notre cadre théorique. Le positionnement de la thèse dans l’ancrage de la théorie politico-contracteulle et la théorie des signaux nous a orienté vers l’étude du contenu informationnel du timing de versement des dividendes dans un premier temps et à identifier ses déterminants dans un deuxième temps. La seconde partie est consacrée à l’étude empirique réalisée auprès de 69 entreprises initiatrices de dividendes cotées à l’indice SBF 120 durant l’année 2007 afin de répondre à notre premier objectif, et portée sur un échantillon de 57 sociétés françaises distributrices d’un dividende annuel durant la période 2003-2009 afin de répondre à notre second objectif. S’agissant de notre premier objectif, le recours à la méthodologie des études d’évènement a révélé que les cours réagissent à la date de versement des dividendes ce qui confirme que le timing de versement des dividendes possède un contenu informationnel. Quant à notre second objectif, les dispositions réglementaires souples sur la fixation de la date de versement du dividende et son emploi en tant que signal émis de la firme vers le marché posent la question du choix de cette date dans le contexte français à système juridique civil connu pour la protection des intérêts des actionnaires minoritaires. Les résultats de la littérature antérieure restent timides en raison de leur focalisation sur la date de versement du premier dividende – et notamment sur la probabilité d’initier un dividende suite à l’introduction en bourse. Les résultats de notre étude empirique confirment l’impact significatif de la présence d’un actionnaire majoritaire, de la profitabilité, de la liquidité et de la durée de versement du dividende précédent sur la fixation de la date de versement de cette année. Cet impact semble se manifester à travers une limitation de la durée entre la date de l’assemblée des actionnaires et la date de paiement effectif des dividendes et une reconnaissance de cette durée comme étant une bonne nouvelle par rapport aux autres signaux émis par l’entreprise au marché boursier. / The purpose of this study is to identify the informational content of the dividend pay date and its determinants. Namely, is there information in the timing of the dividend payments? The empirical evidence indicates that the market reacts at the dividend pay date. Mean excess returns of stock prices on the pay date are significantly positive and are insignificant and negative around the entire population of dividend pay dates. On the other side we are interested in the determinants of the dividend pay date. Our multivariate analysis shows that the ownership structure, the liquidity of the firm, the result, and the previous timing of dividend payment influence the fixing of the dividend pay date. This impact is shown as shorten as the delay between the date of the general meeting and the dividend pay date. This duration is considered as good news and can be a signal employed to attract new investors in the stock market.

本論文研究目的，在針對國內上市公司，建立一套股利發放模式，找出影響現金股利與股票股利發放之重要因素，並根據其因素之一：營業利益成長率，探討其與現金股利之關係，以作為分類之依據，來測試現金股利顧客效果，但若關係不顯著，不適合作為分類之標準，則將深入探討產業間發放現金股利之屬性，決定出分類標準，對現金股利顧客效果進行測試。 　　根據上述研究目的，建立出三大假說，所抽樣之樣本為在台灣證券交易所上市之股票，其研究期間自民國七十九年至八十三年，經篩選後有效樣本共103家。在研究方法上，對於影響股利發放模式之重要因素淬取，採用複迴歸模式中之順向選擇法，利用相關分析探討成長機會與現金股利之關係，而關於產業間發放現金股利之現象，採用無母數變異數分析加以檢定，至於現金股利顧客效果之測試，則以Elton&Cuber（1977）之模式為主。 　　實證結果發現：影響股利發放模式之兩大重要因素為股利平穩性及每股盈餘；而成長機會與現金股利之關係為負相關，但並不顯著；產業間發放現金股利有明顯不同，利用Duncan多重分類法可分為三群；在現金股利顧客效果實證結果為在民國七十九年停徵證券交易利得稅，本研究從高現金股利發放群與中現金股利發放群進行測試，所得之結論為國內上市公司並不存在現金股利顧客效果。 　　在建議方面：建議上市公司建立一套健全股利發放政策及對於股利政策因素之考慮，應從多個構面決定，以求得公司最佳股利政策；對於投資者，建議投資時所考慮之構面應增加；而證券交易所得稅停徵所引起之爭議，建議政府機關作更審慎之評估。

Existing literature and theories related to the separation of ownership and control and its impact on companies' financial performance, including dividend payment have left this subject in state of ambiguity and uncleamess, with various contradictions and inconsistencies being noted. In order to establish whether there is a significant difference in financial performance between owner-controlled and management-controlled companies in South Africa, as a result of the separation of ownership and control, this study has used appropriate mathematical and statistical methods for data processing and analysis. Results obtained from the study have revealed the existence of a significant difference in financial performance between owner-controlled and management-controlled companies in South Africa, as measured in terms of profitability, asset management, liquidity, leverage and dividend payment. The analysis has indicated that management-controlled companies have been more efficient, more mature financially and paying higher dividends, out of earnings available to shareholders, than their owner-controlled counterparts. / Business Management / M. Comm. (Business Management)

Existing literature and theories related to the separation of ownership and control and its impact on companies' financial performance, including dividend payment have left this subject in state of ambiguity and uncleamess, with various contradictions and inconsistencies being noted. In order to establish whether there is a significant difference in financial performance between owner-controlled and management-controlled companies in South Africa, as a result of the separation of ownership and control, this study has used appropriate mathematical and statistical methods for data processing and analysis. Results obtained from the study have revealed the existence of a significant difference in financial performance between owner-controlled and management-controlled companies in South Africa, as measured in terms of profitability, asset management, liquidity, leverage and dividend payment. The analysis has indicated that management-controlled companies have been more efficient, more mature financially and paying higher dividends, out of earnings available to shareholders, than their owner-controlled counterparts. / Business Management / M. Comm. (Business Management)