Ordinary shares typically allow shareholders to do what?

Ordinary shares typically allow shareholders to receive dividends at the discretion of the company's directors. This means that while shareholders may expect dividends as a return on their investment, the actual payment is not guaranteed and is determined based on the company’s profitability and directors' decisions. Directors assess the financial performance and cash flow of the company when deciding whether to distribute dividends and at what amount.

The other options present concepts related to shares that are not characteristics of ordinary shares. For instance, shareholders in ordinary shares generally do not receive fixed dividends, which distinguishes them from preference shareholders, who do. Additionally, ordinary shareholders have voting rights in corporate decisions, but this does not occur automatically; their ability to vote may depend on various factors such as the class of shares they hold. Lastly, in terms of asset distribution during a company winding up, ordinary shareholders are at the bottom of the hierarchy and only receive assets after all debts and preference shareholders have been paid, meaning they do not have priority in asset distribution.