Ex-Dividend Alert: 5 Stocks Going Ex-Dividend Tomorrow: IRT, CMO, NCT, FMC, BEN

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Tomorrow, Sept. 26, 2013, 90 U.S. common stocks are scheduled to go ex-dividend. The dividend yields on these stocks range from 0% to 20.9%. All of these stocks can be found on our stocks going ex-dividend section of our dividend calendar.

Highlighted Stocks Going Ex-Dividend Tomorrow:

Independence Realty

Owners of Independence Realty (AMEX: IRT) shares as of market close today will be eligible for a dividend of 5 cents per share. At a price of $8.40 as of 9:30 a.m. ET, the dividend yield is 7.7%.

The average volume for Independence Realty has been 162,800 shares per day over the past 30 days. Independence Realty has a market cap of $46.6 million and is part of the real estate industry. Shares are unchanged year to date as of the close of trading on Tuesday.

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

• See our top-yielding stocks list.

Capstead Mortgage Corporation

Owners of Capstead Mortgage Corporation (NYSE: CMO) shares as of market close today will be eligible for a dividend of 31 cents per share. At a price of $12.15 as of 9:35 a.m. ET, the dividend yield is 10.2%.

The average volume for Capstead Mortgage Corporation has been 1.2 million shares per day over the past 30 days. Capstead Mortgage Corporation has a market cap of $1.2 billion and is part of the real estate industry. Shares are up 5.7% year to date as of the close of trading on Tuesday.

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

Capstead Mortgage Corporation operates as a real estate investment trust in the United States. The company has a P/E ratio of 12.12.

TheStreet Ratings rates Capstead Mortgage Corporation as a hold. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its reasonable valuation levels, expanding profit margins and good cash flow from operations. However, as a counter to these strengths, we also find weaknesses including feeble growth in the company's earnings per share, deteriorating net income and disappointing return on equity. You can view the full Capstead Mortgage Corporation Ratings Report now.

• See our top-yielding stocks list.

Newcastle Investment Corporation

Owners of Newcastle Investment Corporation (NYSE: NCT) shares as of market close today will be eligible for a dividend of 10 cents per share. At a price of $5.59 as of 9:36 a.m. ET, the dividend yield is 7.1%.

The average volume for Newcastle Investment Corporation has been 4.1 million shares per day over the past 30 days. Newcastle Investment Corporation has a market cap of $1.7 billion and is part of the real estate industry. Shares are up 44.8% year to date as of the close of trading on Tuesday.

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

The company has a P/E ratio of 2.36.

• See our top-yielding stocks list.

FMC Corporation

Owners of FMC Corporation (NYSE: FMC) shares as of market close today will be eligible for a dividend of 14 cents per share. At a price of $71.58 as of 9:35 a.m. ET, the dividend yield is 0.8%.

The average volume for FMC Corporation has been 765,300 shares per day over the past 30 days. FMC Corporation has a market cap of $9.7 billion and is part of the chemicals industry. Shares are up 21.5% year to date as of the close of trading on Tuesday.

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

FMC Corporation, a diversified chemical company, provides solutions and products for agricultural, consumer, and industrial markets. It operates in three segments: Agricultural Products, Specialty Chemicals, and Industrial Chemicals. The company has a P/E ratio of 21.36.

TheStreet Ratings rates FMC Corporation as a buy. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its revenue growth, solid stock price performance, increase in net income, good cash flow from operations and growth in earnings per share. 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 FMC Corporation Ratings Report now.

• See our top-yielding stocks list.

Franklin Resources

Owners of Franklin Resources (NYSE: BEN) shares as of market close today will be eligible for a dividend of 10 cents per share. At a price of $50.61 as of 9:35 a.m. ET, the dividend yield is 0.8%.

The average volume for Franklin Resources has been 2.7 million shares per day over the past 30 days. Franklin Resources has a market cap of $32.3 billion and is part of the financial services industry. Shares are up 21.3% year to date as of the close of trading on Tuesday.

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

Franklin Resources Inc. is a publicly owned asset management holding company. The firm provides its services to individuals, institutions, pension plans, trusts, and partnerships. It manages, through its subsidiary, separate client-focused equity, fixed income, and balanced portfolios. The company has a P/E ratio of 15.26.

TheStreet Ratings rates Franklin Resources as a buy. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its revenue growth, notable return on equity, expanding profit margins, good cash flow from operations and solid stock price performance. 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 Franklin Resources 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.