Record Date vs. Ex-Dividend Date: What's the Difference? (2024)

FAQs

Record Date vs. Ex-Dividend Date: What's the Difference? ›

The ex-date or ex-dividend date is the trading date on (and after) which the dividend is not owed to a new buyer of the stock. The ex-date is one business day before the date of record. The date of record is the day on which the company checks its records to identify shareholders of the company.

So, to be eligible for the dividend, you will need to buy the stocks before the ex-dividend date, which generally is two days before the record date. Also, remember it takes T+2 days to get registered and updated, so keep those as buffer days and do not just wait for the last date to buy the stocks.

Another important note to consider: as long as you purchase a stock prior to the ex-dividend date, you can then sell the stock any time on or after the ex-dividend date and still receive the dividend. A common misconception is that investors need to hold the stock through the record date or pay date.

Use the ex-dividend date (and record date) as an investing strategy to get the most dividend returns. Knowing your ex-dividend date, and record date, will help you get full value from your dividends, but trying to make a quick buck buying and selling around key dividend dates is not worth the risk.

The ex-dividend date is the first day the stock trades without its dividend, thus ex-dividend. If you want to get the dividend payment, you need to own the stock by this day. That means you have to buy before the end of the day before the ex-dividend date to get the next dividend.

The record date, also known as the date of record, is when a company offering a dividend or distribution establishes its list of shareholders who will receive the payout. The record date generally occurs a day after the ex-dividend date, the first trading day when new buyers no longer qualify for the dividend.

The ex-dividend date for stocks is usually set one business day before the record date. If you purchase a stock on its ex-dividend date or after, you will not receive the next dividend payment. Instead, the seller gets the dividend. If you purchase before the ex-dividend date, you get the dividend.

The value of a share of stock goes down by about the dividend amount when the stock goes ex-dividend. Investors who own mutual funds, stocks, and other securities should find out the ex-dividend date for those investments and evaluate how the distribution will affect their tax bill.

For most people, it is not rational to time delay their share sale to capture a dividend. There are some minor tax consideration, but these will not be material for most people with relatively small shareholdings. Bottom line – if you want to sell your shares, sell them!

Dividend capture specifically calls for buying a stock just prior to the ex-dividend date in order to receive the dividend, then selling it immediately after the dividend is paid. The purpose of the two trades is simply to receive the dividend, as opposed to investing for the longer term.

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When it comes to investing for dividends, there are three key dates that everyone should memorize. The three dates are the date of declaration, date of record, and date of payment.

After a stock goes ex-dividend, the share price typically drops by the amount of the dividend paid to reflect the fact that new shareholders are not entitled to that payment. Dividends paid out as stock instead of cash can dilute earnings, which can also have a negative impact on share prices in the short term.

Can you sell on the record date and still get the dividend? Yes, you can sell anytime on or after the ex-dividend date and still be eligible for the dividend. All investors who owned stock by the end of the trading session the day before the ex-dividend date will receive the payout.

What Is Selling Shares Before the Ex-Dividend Date? Thus, the ex-dividend date is the date that the company has designated as the first day of trading in which the shares trade without the right to the dividend. If you sell your shares on or after this date, you will, however, still receive the dividend.

If you buy a stock one day before the ex-dividend, you will get the dividend. If you buy on the ex-dividend date or any day after, you won't get the dividend. Conversely, if you want to sell a stock and still get a dividend that has been declared, you need to hang onto it until the ex-dividend day.

The date of record is the day on which the company checks its records to identify shareholders of the company. An investor must be listed on that date to be eligible for a dividend payout. The date of payment is the day the company mails out the dividend to all holders of record.

The term dividend capture refers to an investment strategy that focuses on buying and selling dividend-paying stocks. It is a timing-oriented strategy used by an investor who buys a stock just before its ex-dividend or reinvestment date to capture the dividend.

In India, the delivery of shares into a Demat account takes place two days after the trading date. All existing shareholders before the ex-date and record date are eligible to receive bonus shares issued by a company. However, to qualify for bonus shares, the company stocks must be bought before the ex-date.

Simply put, the ex-dividend date is typically two business days before the record date. Because the ex-dividend concept already includes the settlement delay, the settlement date can happen on or after the ex-dividend date.