5 Stocks Going Ex-Dividend Monday: BGH, REG, GGB, AGO, AFL

Editor's Note: TheStreet ratings do not represent the views of TheStreet's staff or its contributors. Ratings are established by computer based on metrics for performance (which includes growth, stock performance, efficiency and valuation) and risk (volatility and solvency). Companies with poor cash flow or high debt levels tend to earn lower ratings in our model.

Monday, May 20, 2013, 15 U.S. common stocks are scheduled to go ex-dividend. The dividend yields on these stocks range from 0.9% to 9.2%. All of these stocks can be found on our stocks going ex-dividend section of our dividend calendar.

Highlighted Stocks Going Ex-Dividend Monday:

Babson Capital Global Short Duration High Y

Owners of Babson Capital Global Short Duration High Y (NYSE: BGH) shares as of market close today will be eligible for a dividend of 17 cents per share. At a price of $25.11 as of 9:35 a.m. ET, the dividend yield is 8%.

The average volume for Babson Capital Global Short Duration High Y has been 85,600 shares per day over the past 30 days. Babson Capital Global Short Duration High Y has a market cap of $463.7 million and is part of the financial services industry. Shares are up 5.6% year to date as of the close of trading on Thursday.

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You can view the full Babson Capital Global Short Duration High Y Ratings Report now.

• See our top-yielding stocks list.

Regency Centers Corporation

Owners of Regency Centers Corporation (NYSE: REG) shares as of market close today will be eligible for a dividend of 46 cents per share. At a price of $57.94 as of 9:35 a.m. ET, the dividend yield is 3.2%.

The average volume for Regency Centers Corporation has been 514,400 shares per day over the past 30 days. Regency Centers Corporation has a market cap of $5.4 billion and is part of the real estate industry. Shares are up 22.4% year to date as of the close of trading on Thursday.

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Regency Centers Corporation operates as a real estate investment trust. The company, through its subsidiaries, owns, operates, and develops community and neighborhood shopping centers that are tenanted by grocers, category-leading anchors, specialty retailers, and restaurants.

TheStreet Ratings rates Regency Centers Corporation as a hold. Among the primary strengths of the company is its solid stock price performance. At the same time, however, we also find weaknesses including deteriorating net income, disappointing return on equity and feeble growth in the company's earnings per share. You can view the full Regency Centers Corporation Ratings Report now.

• See our top-yielding stocks list.

Gerdau

Owners of Gerdau (NYSE: GGB) shares as of market close today will be eligible for a dividend of 1 cent per share. At a price of $6.76 as of 9:35 a.m. ET, the dividend yield is 0.9%.

The average volume for Gerdau has been 5.9 million shares per day over the past 30 days. Gerdau has a market cap of $11.4 billion and is part of the metals & mining industry. Shares are down 25.8% year to date as of the close of trading on Thursday.

EXCLUSIVE OFFER: Jim Cramer's Protégé, Dave Peltier, only buys dividend stocks that have the potential for a 3% to 4% yield and 10% growth. Get his best picks for less than $50/year.

Gerdau S.A. engages in the production and commercialization of steel products worldwide. The company has a P/E ratio of 5.54.

TheStreet Ratings rates Gerdau as a hold. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its reasonable valuation levels and largely solid financial position with reasonable debt levels by most measures. However, as a counter to these strengths, we also find weaknesses including disappointing return on equity, poor profit margins and weak operating cash flow. You can view the full Gerdau Ratings Report now.

• See our top-yielding stocks list.

Assured Guaranty

Owners of Assured Guaranty (NYSE: AGO) shares as of market close today will be eligible for a dividend of 10 cents per share. At a price of $24.04 as of 9:35 a.m. ET, the dividend yield is 1.7%.

The average volume for Assured Guaranty has been 2.0 million shares per day over the past 30 days. Assured Guaranty has a market cap of $4.6 billion and is part of the insurance industry. Shares are up 68.4% year to date as of the close of trading on Thursday.

EXCLUSIVE OFFER: Jim Cramer's Protégé, Dave Peltier, only buys dividend stocks that have the potential for a 3% to 4% yield and 10% growth. Get his best picks for less than $50/year.

Assured Guaranty Ltd., through its subsidiaries, provides credit protection products to public finance, infrastructure, and structured finance markets in the United States and internationally. The company has a P/E ratio of 9.73.

TheStreet Ratings rates Assured Guaranty as a buy. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its revenue growth, solid stock price performance, notable return on equity, compelling growth in net income and reasonable valuation levels. Although the company may harbor some minor weaknesses, we feel they are unlikely to have a significant impact on results. You can view the full Assured Guaranty Ratings Report now.

• See our top-yielding stocks list.

Aflac

Owners of Aflac (NYSE: AFL) shares as of market close today will be eligible for a dividend of 35 cents per share. At a price of $54.75 as of 9:36 a.m. ET, the dividend yield is 2.6%.

The average volume for Aflac has been 3.4 million shares per day over the past 30 days. Aflac has a market cap of $25.6 billion and is part of the insurance industry. Shares are up 3.2% year to date as of the close of trading on Thursday.

EXCLUSIVE OFFER: Jim Cramer's Protégé, Dave Peltier, only buys dividend stocks that have the potential for a 3% to 4% yield and 10% growth. Get his best picks for less than $50/year.

Aflac Incorporated, through its subsidiary, American Family Life Assurance Company of Columbus, provides supplemental health and life insurance products. The company has a P/E ratio of 8.66.

TheStreet Ratings rates Aflac as a buy. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its solid stock price performance, growth in earnings per share, largely solid financial position with reasonable debt levels by most measures, notable return on equity and attractive valuation levels. Although the company may harbor some minor weaknesses, we feel they are unlikely to have a significant impact on results. You can view the full Aflac Ratings Report now.

• See our top-yielding stocks list.

More About Dividends:

One benefit of owning a stock is the potential that you will be paid a dividend. The distribution of dividend payments is another way for a company to share its profit with you. A dividend means that the company pays you a certain amount of money, either as a one-time payment or more commonly on a quarterly basis, for each share of stock you own.

Many times, dividends come at the expense of greater price appreciation, because the company is distributing its profits to shareholders rather than reinvesting the profits back into the growth of the company. However, companies that pay dividends can be very attractive to investors when they offer a steady stream of income. There are some important terms and dates an investor should be familiar with before purchasing any dividend-paying companies. Let's work through an example to help better explain some of these terms:

On March 1, ABC Widget Company has decided that because it holds excess cash and lacks investment opportunities, it would like to reward shareholders with a regular quarterly dividend payment. The date for this particular announcement is known as the declaration date. It is on this date that the company announces the specific dividend payment along with the holder of record date (aka record date) and the payment date. The company announces that a dividend payment of 25 cents per share will be payable March 31, 2012 (the payment date) to all shareholders of record at the close of business on March 16, 2012 (holder of record date). What does this all mean? Well the short story is that the company looks at its records on March 16 and anyone listed on the books as an owner of ABC Widget company will be eligible for the dividend payment (on March 31).

The one other important term to remember is the ex-dividend date. The ex-dividend date (typically two trading days before the holder of record date for U.S. securities) is the day in which a company begins trading without the dividend. In order to have a claim on a dividend, shares must be purchased no later than the last business day before the ex-dividend date. A company trading ex-dividend will have the upcoming dividend subtracted from the share price at the start of the trading day. Many times, the price of a stock will increase in anticipation of the upcoming dividend as the ex-dividend date approaches, yet will fall back by the amount of the dividend on the ex-dividend date.

• See our dividend calendar.

Editor's Note: TheStreet ratings do not represent the views of TheStreet's staff or its contributors. Ratings are established by computer based on metrics for performance (which includes growth, stock performance, efficiency and valuation) and risk (volatility and solvency). Companies with poor cash flow or high debt levels tend to earn lower ratings in our model.