HOUSTON - The oldest surviving artificial Earth satellite, Vanguard 1, turned 50 years old on Monday â and continued to turn in its orbit, just as it has done since its launch at the dawn of the Space Age. The craft is in a high orbit that promises to be stable for centuries.
Companies use dividends to pass on their profits directly to their shareholders. Most often, the dividend comes in the form of cash: a company will pay a small percentage of its profits to the owner of each share of stock. However, it is not unheard of for companies to pay dividends in the form of stock.
Distribution Definition. Dividends are defined as distributions of company income to shareholders. If a company distributes cash to investors in excess of their earnings and profits, they can't call it a dividend. Instead, it's referred to as a non-dividend cash distribution and is considered a return of capital.