Can you can use the ex-dividend date as an investing strategy (2024)

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Can you can use the ex-dividend date as an investing strategy (1)

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Can you can use the ex-dividend date as an investing strategy (2)

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.

Dividend stocks are an essential part of a good conservative investing philosophy. But there are certain details you should know about the way dividends are paid out. Key to that is understanding the ex dividend date and record date.

Can you can use the ex-dividend date as an investing strategy (3)

The Growing Power of Dividends

Learn everything you need to know in '7 Winning Strategies for Dividend Investors' for FREE from The Successful Investor.

The Best Canadian Dividend Stocks to Buy: REITS Canada and other Top Canadian Dividend Stocks.

Important detail: the ex dividend date and record date

The ex dividend date and record date are closely related and often confused. The ex-dividend date is one business day before the record date when the shares begin to trade without their dividend. If you buy stocks one day or more before their ex-dividend date, you will still get the dividend. That’s when a stock is said to trade cum-dividend, or with dividend. If you buy on the ex-dividend date or later, you won’t get the dividend. The ex-dividend date is in place to allow pending stock trades to settle. It’s why investors pay close attention to both the ex dividend date and record date when buying shares.

An example of using the ex-dividend date as an investing strategy

Here’s how it works:

Let’s say a company’s dividend of $0.52 a share was payable on Friday, February 24, 2023, to those shareholders of record at the close of business on Wednesday, February 22, 2023, the record date.

One business day before that record date, the shares began to trade without their dividend, that is, on the ex-dividend date of February 21, 2023. If you bought this dividend-paying stock one day or more before the ex-dividend date, you still got the dividend (because the shares are trading cum-dividend, or with dividend). But if you bought these shares on the ex-dividend date or later, you would not receive the dividend.

How to decide if an ex-dividend date, and record date, can be used in your investing strategy

“Dividend capture” is the trading technique of buying a dividend stock just before the dividend is paid, holding it just long enough to collect the dividend, then selling it. If you can sell it for as much as you paid for it (and that’s not guaranteed), you have “captured” the dividend at no cost, other than the transaction costs.

To do this, you would buy shares in stocks just before the ex-dividend date, so you would be a shareholder of record on the record date, and would receive the dividend. Because the stock falls by the amount of the dividend on the ex-dividend date, the strategy then calls for you to wait for the stock to move back to the price where you bought it at before the ex-dividend date. At this point, you sell the stock for a break-even trade.

Dividend capture strategies may have appeal for securities dealers or brokers executing huge trades with very low transaction costs. Corporations may even have tax benefits. But for the average investor, there’s little chance of making a significant profit on this use of ex dividend date, and record date.

Is using the ex-dividend date as an investing strategy new to you? What do you think of this investing strategy in the current market? Please share your thoughts with us.

This post was originally published in April 2017 and is regularly updated.

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Can you can use the ex-dividend date as an investing strategy (2024)

FAQs

Can you use the ex-dividend date as an investing strategy? ›

If an investing strategy is focused on income, knowing when the ex-date occurs helps investors plan their trade entries. However, because the stock's price drops by about the same value as the dividend, buying a stock right before the ex-date shouldn't result in any profits.

Are dividends a good investment strategy? ›

Dividend investing can be a great investment strategy. Dividend stocks have historically outperformed the S&P 500 with less volatility. That's because dividend stocks provide two sources of return: regular income from dividend payments and capital appreciation of the stock price. This total return can add up over time.

Does the dividend capture strategy work? ›

A dividend capture strategy can pay off when stock markets are rising. Of course, any strategy that leads you to buy can pay off when stock markets are rising. However, you have to pay a brokerage commission to buy the shares and a commission to sell. The commissions can eat up much of the dividend income.

Is it good to buy stock on an ex-dividend date? ›

If you buy stocks one day or more before their ex-dividend date, you will still get the dividend. That's when a stock is said to trade cum-dividend, or with dividend. If you buy on the ex-dividend date or later, you won't get the dividend. The ex-dividend date is in place to allow pending stock trades to settle.

What is the ex-dividend strategy? ›

It's a three-step process that involves buying a stock before its ex-dividend date, capturing the dividend, and then selling the stock once the price has recovered. This allows you to “harvest” the dividend as well as some capital gains. The dividend capture strategy requires no leverage.

Can I sell after ex-dividend date and still get dividend? ›

If shares are sold on or after the ex-dividend date, they will still receive the dividend.

Is it better to buy before or after the ex-dividend date? ›

The stock price drops by the amount of the dividend on the ex-dividend date. Remember, the ex-dividend date is the day before the record date. If investors want to receive a stock's dividend, they have to buy shares of stock before the ex-dividend date.

How to make $1,000 a month through dividend investing? ›

As Benzinga explained, to calculate your estimated investment value you need two variables: your desired annual earnings target ($12,000) and the dividend yield of the stock (0.73%). Here's the formula: $12,000 / 0.0073 = $1,643,835.62 to generate an income of $1,000 per month.

Should I focus on dividends or growth? ›

If you are looking to create wealth and have a longer time horizon, staying invested in growth will enable you to enjoy longer returns. But if you are looking for a more immediate return and steady cash flow, dividend investing could be the best choice for you.

How to profit from an ex-dividend date? ›

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.

Can you live off of dividends? ›

It is possible to achieve financial freedom by living off dividends forever. That isn't to say it's easy, but it's possible.

Why do investors look at dividend yield? ›

To put it another way, dividend yield is a security's annual dividend payment expressed as a percentage of its current price. This percentage yield tells you what your annual return on investment would be at the price you paid for the security.

Does chasing dividends work? ›

Dividend capture can be an effective short-term trading strategy in certain markets, but it's not a plan to gain long-term wealth. Dividend harvesting can provide steady and reliable income without worrying too much about volatile market gyrations or confusing technical analysis.

Why do stocks go up before ex-dividend date? ›

Because investors know they will receive a dividend if they purchase a stock before its ex-dividend date, they are often willing to buy it at a premium. This often causes the price of a stock to increase in the days leading up to its ex-dividend date.

How long to hold stock after ex-dividend date? ›

At the most basic level, you only need to own a stock by the ex-dividend date (or deadline) in order to get the dividend. And you can sell the stock a day or two after that, once everything settles. So in theory, you only need to own the stock for a couple of days to get the dividend.

Is it better to sell before ex-dividend date? ›

Regardless, if you'd like to sell your shares and still get the dividend, hold onto them until the Ex-Dividend Date. Sell on or after the Ex-Dividend Date and you'll still receive the dividend.

Does dividend policy matter to investors? ›

Dividend policy matters as it provides a favorable signal about the financial condition of a company and affects the market price of its shares. Dividend policy matters as it has a significant effect on a firm's performance and market value, according to the paper.

How does the ex-dividend date affect options? ›

Option traders anticipate dividends in the weeks and months leading up to the ex-dividend date, so options prices adjust ahead of time. Put options generally become more expensive because the price drops by the amount of the dividend (all else being equal).

Can you sell pre-market on an ex-dividend date? ›

If you sold shares before the ex-dividend date no matter if in pre-market trading, regular trading or after-hours trading, you will not qualify for the dividend. If you sold shares on or after the ex-dividend date, whether in pre-market trading, regular trading, or after-hours trading, you do qualify for the dividend.

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