Shares FAQ's
Please see below for a list of commonly asked questions about Shares. If you can't find the answer to your question below, please contact your William Shaw advisor.
What are Holder Identification Numbers (HINs) and Securityholder Reference Numbers (SRNs)?
Holder Identification Numbers (HINs) identify CHESS Sponsored holdings (also referred to as Broker Sponsored holdings). Some HINs start with the letter 'X' while others have no alphabetic prefix e.g. X00054321, 00054321.
Securityholder Reference Numbers (SRNs) identify Issuer Sponsored holdings and begin with the letter 'I' e.g. I00054321.
Your HIN or SRN appears on your original holding statement as well as subsequent statements and payment (dividend or distribution) advices.
Important note - your SRNs and/or HINs identify you as the owner of your securities and should be stored securely.
How do I get information about the company in which I invest?
For information about the company in which you invest you can:
. Register for email updates - announcements, annual reports, newsletters, etc via Link Market Services.
. Visit the Australian Stock Exchange website.
. Visit the website of the company.
. Ask your William Shaw Advisor for our latest research or view on the stock
Am I entitled to a dividend?
Many ASX listed companies pay dividends twice each year, usually as an 'interim' dividend and a 'final' dividend. Companies are not limited to paying twice a year and may pay more or less frequently. A company may also pay a 'special' dividend, related to a particular event.
Dividend data is usually available on ASX the day after the company has announced the dividend. It may take longer for the data to be available however it will generally be available before the 'ex dividend' date.
Each dividend has a Record Date, ex dividend date and date payable. The Record Date is the date on which the company closes its register to determine which shareholders are registered to receive the dividend.
Shares are quoted 'ex dividend' on the fourth business day before the company's Record Date. To be entitled to a dividend a shareholder must have purchased shares before the ex dividend date. The share price may fall on the ex dividend date, with the fall in price being related to the amount of dividend being paid. Buyers after the ex dividend date will not receive the dividend because they will not be registered by the Record Date.
The dividend is paid on the date payable to those shareholders who were registered by the Record date.
How & Where does my dividend get paid?
If you hold the shares over the ex dividend date you will be entitled to a dividend. The dividend will be paid on the date payable as set by the company in mention.
Dividend data is usually available on the ASX the day after the company has announced the dividend. It may take longer for the data to be available however it will generally be available before the 'ex dividend' date.
When you become a share holder of a company listed on the ASX, the company you have purchased shares in is made aware of your details via the shareholder registry, Link Market Services .
The company that is paying you a dividend will send out a cheque via mail to the details that you have registered the account holding the applicable shares in. Dividend payments may also be banked directly into your Australian bank, building society or credit union account. Not only is payment by direct credit much more secure, it's faster and payments are credited to your account as cleared funds, allowing you to access them on payment date.
To register for dividends to be direct credited to your account go to Link Market Services .
What is the holding period rule?
If you trade through a trust or partnership and receive directly or indirectly more than the threshold of $5000 worth of franked dividends then the holding period rule states:
The shares must be held for at least 45 days (or 90 days for preference shares) irrespective of when the shares go ex-dividend through the qualifying period.
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