The class of share to which payment of dividend depends on profit is

Ordinary shares (also called equity shares) do not carry a fixed rate of dividend. Instead, ordinary shareholders receive whatever the directors decide to distribute after all other prior claims, including preference dividends, have been met, and after profits available for distribution have been determined for the year.

This means the dividend an ordinary shareholder receives rises and falls directly with how profitable the business has been: a strong profit year can bring a generous dividend, while a poor year, or a loss, can mean no dividend at all. Preference shares, by contrast, carry a fixed percentage rate that is set in advance and paid ahead of ordinary dividends whenever sufficient profit exists; bonus shares are additional shares issued to existing shareholders out of reserves rather than shares that carry a dividend right of their own, and forfeited shares are shares taken back by the company from a shareholder who failed to pay calls due on them.

Examination reminder: the defining feature of ordinary shares is variability: the size of the dividend depends entirely on profit performance and the directors' decision each year, unlike the fixed, prior-ranking rate attached to preference shares.