4 Stocks Going Ex-Dividend Tomorrow: CMLP, VNR, FRC, O

Editor's Note: Any reference to TheStreet Ratings and its underlying recommendation does not reflect the opinion of TheStreet, Inc. or any of its contributors including Jim Cramer or Stephanie Link.

Tomorrow, July 30, 2013, 29 U.S. common stocks are scheduled to go ex-dividend. The dividend yields on these stocks range from 0.6% to 12.7%. All of these stocks can be found on our stocks going ex-dividend section of our dividend calendar.

Highlighted Stocks Going Ex-Dividend Tomorrow:

Crestwood Midstream Partners

Owners of Crestwood Midstream Partners (NYSE: CMLP) shares as of market close today will be eligible for a dividend of 51 cents per share. At a price of $27.01 as of 9:35 a.m. ET, the dividend yield is 7.5%.

The average volume for Crestwood Midstream Partners has been 205,900 shares per day over the past 30 days. Crestwood Midstream Partners has a market cap of $1.2 billion and is part of the energy industry. Shares are up 25.6% year to date as of the close of trading on Friday.

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Crestwood Midstream Partners LP primarily engages in the gathering, processing, treating, compressing, transporting, and selling natural gas in the United States. The company operates in four segments: Barnett, Fayetteville, Granite Wash, and Marcellus. The company has a P/E ratio of 93.97.

TheStreet Ratings rates Crestwood Midstream Partners as a buy. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its revenue growth, good cash flow from operations, expanding profit margins, largely solid financial position with reasonable debt levels by most measures and increase in stock price during the past year. We feel these strengths outweigh the fact that the company has had sub par growth in net income. You can view the full Crestwood Midstream Partners Ratings Report now.

• See our top-yielding stocks list.

Vanguard Natural Resources

Owners of Vanguard Natural Resources (NASDAQ: VNR) shares as of market close today will be eligible for a dividend of 21 cents per share. At a price of $28.08 as of 9:35 a.m. ET, the dividend yield is 8.9%.

The average volume for Vanguard Natural Resources has been 660,500 shares per day over the past 30 days. Vanguard Natural Resources has a market cap of $2.1 billion and is part of the energy industry. Shares are up 7.4% year to date as of the close of trading on Friday.

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Vanguard Natural Resources, LLC, through its subsidiaries, engages in the acquisition and development of oil and natural gas properties in the United States.

TheStreet Ratings rates Vanguard Natural Resources as a hold. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its revenue growth, good cash flow from operations and expanding profit margins. However, as a counter to these strengths, we also find weaknesses including deteriorating net income, generally higher debt management risk and disappointing return on equity. You can view the full Vanguard Natural Resources Ratings Report now.

• See our top-yielding stocks list.

First Republic Bank (San Francisco CA

Owners of First Republic Bank (San Francisco CA (NYSE: FRC) shares as of market close today will be eligible for a dividend of 12 cents per share. At a price of $42.55 as of 9:35 a.m. ET, the dividend yield is 1.1%.

The average volume for First Republic Bank (San Francisco CA has been 1.3 million shares per day over the past 30 days. First Republic Bank (San Francisco CA has a market cap of $5.6 billion and is part of the banking industry. Shares are up 31% year to date as of the close of trading on Friday.

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First Republic Bank, together with its subsidiaries, provides personalized, relationship-based preferred banking, business banking, real estate lending, trust, and wealth management services to clients in metropolitan areas of the United States. The company has a P/E ratio of 16.99.

TheStreet Ratings rates First Republic Bank (San Francisco CA as a buy. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its revenue growth, solid stock price performance, impressive record of earnings per share growth, expanding profit margins and compelling growth in net income. We feel these strengths outweigh the fact that the company has had somewhat disappointing return on equity. You can view the full First Republic Bank (San Francisco CA Ratings Report now.

• See our top-yielding stocks list.

Realty Income Corporation

Owners of Realty Income Corporation (NYSE: O) shares as of market close today will be eligible for a dividend of 18 cents per share. At a price of $44.50 as of 9:36 a.m. ET, the dividend yield is 4.9%.

The average volume for Realty Income Corporation has been 2.2 million shares per day over the past 30 days. Realty Income Corporation has a market cap of $8.7 billion and is part of the real estate industry. Shares are up 10.2% year to date as of the close of trading on Friday.

STOCKS TO BUY: TheStreet Quant Ratings has identified a handful of stocks that can potentially TRIPLE in the next 12-months. Learn more.

Realty Income Corporation is a publicly traded real estate investment trust. It invests in the real estate markets of the United States. The firm makes investments in commercial real estate. Realty Income Corporation was founded in 1969 and is based in Escondido, California. The company has a P/E ratio of 54.83.

TheStreet Ratings rates Realty Income Corporation as a buy. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its robust revenue growth, compelling growth in net income, increase in stock price during the past year and expanding profit margins. We feel these strengths outweigh the fact that the company has had somewhat disappointing return on equity. You can view the full Realty Income Corporation 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.