Читать книгу The Dividend Investor - Rodney Hobson - Страница 36

Dividends are sent to those who appear on the share register on this date, which always falls on a Friday two days after the ex-div date to allow time for the register to be updated with all deals done cum dividend.

Do not worry if you buy or sell shares on the Wednesday or Thursday. The share registrar will know whether shares have been bought or sold cum or ex dividend.

If you bought cum (with) the dividend you are entitled to it; if you bought ex (without) then it is not yours but if this worries you, just do not buy or sell shares around the ex-dividend date.

The date on register is always Friday for historical reasons. The London Stock Exchange used to have two-week settlement periods. On alternate Fridays all the deals of the previous two weeks were processed. So all deals done cum dividend were processed on the Friday and shareholders entitled to the dividend were on the register that day.

With the arrival of electronic trading all deals are now settled and processed in two days. The Friday register day has remained but the ex-dividend date has moved closer to it to allow for the shorter settlement and processing period.