Ex-dividend date
The ex-dividend date is the cutoff for a dividend: you must own the shares before it to receive the upcoming payment.
When a company declares a dividend, it sets several dates. The ex-dividend date is the key one for buyers: to receive the next dividend, you must own the stock before the ex-dividend date. Buy on or after it and the seller — not you — collects that payment. The record date and payment date follow.
On the ex-dividend date a stock’s price typically drops by roughly the dividend amount, because new buyers no longer get that payout. This is normal mechanics, not a loss of value. Trying to buy just before the ex-date and sell just after (a "dividend capture") rarely works after this price adjustment and taxes.
stocks-llm does publish upcoming ex-dividend dates, on the dividend calendar. Two kinds of date appear there and they are kept apart: dates a company has actually filed, and dates estimated here from a company’s own payment history, which are marked as estimates and are not declarations. It remains a research tool for understanding companies rather than a trade-timing service — the calendar is there to tell you when a payment is due, not to suggest trading around it. This definition is educational only.
See more terms in the stocks-llm glossary.
Informational only — NOT financial advice. This is an educational definition, not a recommendation to buy or sell anything. Metrics on stocks-llm are delayed data and may be missing or stale. Always verify information independently and consult a qualified financial professional before making any investment decision.