Corporate Actions Explained: Dividends, Splits, M&A & More

Welcome to Corporate Actions.

Have you ever opened your investment account to find twice as many shares at half the price, or a payment you didn’t expect? Wondering what really happens to your shares when a company splits, merges, or spins off a business? This course is built for anyone who wants to understand the events that change what an investment is worth.

You’ll learn what corporate actions are, how mandatory and voluntary events differ, and why key dates like the ex-date and record date decide who gets paid. Then, we’ll take it further into dividends, splits, mergers, rights issues, spin-offs, buybacks, and liquidations, and finish behind the scenes, where these events are processed, checked, and reported.

Everything we cover is grounded in real market practice. You’ll follow one fictional company through every event and work the numbers step by step, so each idea becomes clear and practical.

By the end, you’ll be able to:

· Read a corporate action announcement and spot the dates that matter.

· Calculate what a dividend, split, or rights issue means for your position and cost basis.

· Compare cash, stock, and mixed merger offers.

· Explain how a corporate action travels from the company to an investor’s account.

· Catch common errors and understand how claims get fixed.

Hands-on Excel labs, a Dutch auction mini-project, and a post-mortem workshop will help you apply what you learn immediately.

If you’re ready to turn confusing announcements into clear decisions, hit Start—and begin mastering corporate actions today.