EMCORE Corporation (EMKR)

[chmcnfunds]

So according to this site the pps will drop $1.50 on the ex-date:

Quote:

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Everything Investors Need to Know About Special Dividends
Jared CummansOct 14, 2014
Special dividends are one-time cash payouts to shareholders (sometimes referred to as special cash dividends). Sometimes, when a company has extra cash on the books, rather than reinvest it back into the company, it will pay it out to shareholders on a one-off basis.
Background on Special Dividends
Special dividend payments
Special dividends are also known as one-time dividends. These payouts are made to shareholders and declared to be separate from regular dividends. They are typically one-off events and are thus not factored into a stock’s dividend yield.
These one-time dividends have become increasingly popular even among companies that do not pay a regular dividend. In tough economics times, as been the case since after The Great Recession, companies are looking to do something with excess capital. Instead of trying to expand their operations with risky capital investments, they are instead choosing to distribute the profits to shareholders. Complete your investing knowledge; check out Everything Investors Need to Know About Ex-Dividend Dates.
When Are They Paid?
A company will usually pay out a special dividend after strong earnings as a way to reward long-term investors. However, there are times when special dividends are paid out when a company is trying to make changes to its financial structure. For instance, Iron Mountain (IRM ) announced that it would pay out a special dividend amid plans to convert to a Real Estate Investment Trust. Either way, special dividend announcements are typically made in advance of any kind of pay out.
These payouts are often quite large, usually much larger than normal dividend payouts. They can reach prices that represent 30% of a stock’s current price (i.e. a $10 stock may pay out a $3 special dividend) — or even more. This is great for current shareholders. However, it is impossible to predict when a company will payout a special dividend. There are no set schedules or warnings signs that a one time dividend will be coming. If you own the stock and it decides to pay, great; that is an added benefit of being a shareholder. Before you get further into investing, check out 40 Things Every Dividend Investor Should Know About Dividend Investing.
More on Large Special Dividends
Cash dividend payouts
As stated above, sometimes special cash dividends make up a large percentage of a stock’s price. Many times this means that these large special dividends are applied with certain rules that differentiate them from normal dividends. The biggest difference concerning special dividend stocks is that the ex-dividend (for special payouts) comes after the record and pay date, not before (like is the case with regular dividends or smaller special dividends).
This difference occurs because on the ex-dividend date the stock exchange adjusts the stock price to account for the dividend to be paid out. If this same procedure were to happen in the case for a large dividend, say 25% of the stock price or more, then this might signal a huge drop in share price that could affect many traders and investors.
Rather than deal with these headaches, the stock exchanges apply a special rule to deal with these large one-time dividends. The exchanges (not the companies) set an ex-dividend after the record and pay date. Now, you may be wondering how some might receive their dividend if it is paid before the ex-dividend date (the date on which owners of a stock have the right to receive the dividend). To get around this obstacle, the stocks bought or sold in the period from the record date to the ex-dividend date (the due bill period) are tagged with something called a “due bill.”
The due bill documents are a contract that lays out a stock seller’s obligation to deliver the dividend to the stock buyer. For example, let’s say company XYZ is offering a special dividend that is worth 30% of the current share price. This dividend is tagged with a record date of March 1, a pay date of March 15, and an ex-dividend date of March 18. If an owner of stock from XYZ holds the asset through March 15, he would receive the dividend paid at that point. However, if he were to sell that stock on March 17, then the new owner of the asset on the ex-dividend date of March 18 would have the right to the dividend that the original owner has already pocketed. Therefore, the due bill attached to the stock is a promissory note mandating that the original owner passes on the dividend to the new owner.
Date Dividend Event
March 1 Record Date
March 15 Pay Date
March 18 Ex-Dividend Date
Special Dividend Payout Example
This process is a bit complicated, but it is in place so that a stock’s value is not unfairly compromised in a manner that might impact margin calls or other trading transactions. However, this 25% or more rule is a general rule, not a strict one. Many times foreign dividend paying stocks are not held accountable to this stipulation by the stock exchanges. Moreover, some domestic shares are granted an exclusion from this process. It would benefit investors if the criteria to determine which stocks are subject to these rules were made public, but currently the factors FINRA uses to make this call are determined on a case-by-case basis.
Investing Strategies
Investors might be tempted to trade around, or “capture,” special dividends to take advantage of the high yields. However, the stock exchanges set complicated dividend dates in order to prevent traders from trying to take advantage of the dividend system. And as with all dividend payouts, the stock price will be negatively adjusted on the ex-dividend date to reflect the upcoming payout. Special dividends are strictly to reward long-term shareholders.
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