Preferred Dividend

A preferred dividend is a dividend that is accrued and paid on a company's preferred shares. In the event that a company is unable to pay all dividends, claims to preferred dividends take precedence over claims to dividends that are paid on common shares. The main benefit of preferred stock is that it typically pays much higher dividend rates than common stock of the same company.

Preferred dividends are issued based on the par value and dividend rate of the preferred stock. While preferred dividends are issued at a fixed rate based on their par value, this may be unfavorable in high inflation periods. This is because the fixed payment is based on a real rate of interest and is typically unadjusted for inflation.

All issuances of preferred stock contain the equity’s dividend rate and par value in the preferred stock prospectus. The dividend rate multiplied by the par value equates to the total annual preferred dividend. If the total dividend to be received is paid out in installments, such as in quarters, the issuer simply divides the total preferred dividend by the number of periods to get an approximate installment payment.

A business may elect to forgo payment of dividends. Because preferred stockholders have priority over common stockholders in regards to dividends, these forgone dividends accumulate and must eventually be paid to preferred shareholders. Therefore, preferred stock dividends in arrears are legal obligations to be paid to preferred shareholders before any common stock shareholder receives any dividend. All previously omitted dividends must be paid before any current year dividends may be paid. Preferred dividends accumulate and must be reported in a company’s financial statement. Noncumulative preferred stock do not have this feature, and all preferred dividends in arrears may be disregarded.

Preferred stockholders typically receive the right to preferential treatment regarding dividends, in exchange for the right to share in earnings in excess of issued dividend amounts. Some preferred stockholders may receive the right of participation, in which their dividends are not restricted to the fixed rate of interest. However, a majority of preferred stock issuances are nonparticipating. Callable preferred stock results in higher preferred dividends, as investors are sacrificing long-term security. If the preferred stock is retired at the call price, future preferred dividends may be included in the repurchase. Convertible preferred stock has lower preferred dividends, as the investor receives the additional of converting the preferred stock to common stock.