Another strategy that companies might use to distinguish their stock from all others is by paying dividends or distributing the earnings of the company either on a regular quarterly basis or, in some cases, as a one-time event. Normally, a company announces the record date, which is the date that any shareholder must own stock prior to the payment of dividends, and distributes the dividend, usually shortly thereafter. When a company has amassed a lot of cash, it may pay out a special dividend to shareholders of record. Companies that regularly pay dividends tend to be large, predictable, and profitable companies, such as many companies listed in the Dow Jones Industrial Average.