Tribec Wireless Inc. had the following shareholders’ equity section as at December 31, 2020:

Common shares, no par value, unlimited number

authorized, 2 million issued and outstanding .....................    $4,000,000

Retained earnings ...................................................................      1,958,476

Total shareholders’ equity .....................................................    $5,958,476

In 2017 and 2018, Tribec paid a cash dividend of $0.75 per share. In 2019, the company expanded operations significantly and the board of directors decided to retain the assets generated by its earnings in the business rather than pay them out as a cash dividend. In lieu of the cash dividend, the board voted to distribute a 10% stock dividend. In December 2020, the company returned to its previous dividend policy and again paid a $0.75 cash dividend.

In 2017, you inherited 5,000 shares of Tribec Wireless. At that time, the shares were trading at $5 per share. Given the tremendous growth in the wireless market, by 2019, when the stock dividend was distributed, the company’s shares were trading at $80 per share. After the stock dividend, the share price dropped slightly but has since risen again. As at December 31, 2020, they were trading at $82 per share.

Required

a. From Tribec’s perspective, how would the accounting for the stock dividend distributed in 2019 diff er from the accounting for the cash dividends paid in the other years?

b. Immediately after the stock dividend, the price of the Tribec shares dropped slightly. Does this mean the value of the company (and your investment) decreased due to the payment of the stock dividend? Explain.

c. Prepare a schedule illustrating the total amount of cash dividends you have received since inheriting the Tribec shares. What is the value of your investment on December 31, 2020? How does this compare with the value of the shares when you inherited them?