Yup, you're right. I should have checked. (Guess that tells you how few dividend stocks I've owned!) So does that mean if I buy the day before the dividend (on Dec 2nd) that I get the financial shaft, since the price automatically goes down by the amount of the dividend, but I bought after the ex-dividend date? (If that's the case, why in the world were so many people buying in the few days before the dividend was paid? That was some pretty big volume!)

    i think you get more

    Posted by 8899 on 4th of Dec 2010 at 04:07 pm

    i think you get more shares...

    You mean I get more

    Posted by user32 on 5th of Dec 2010 at 12:18 am

    You mean I get more shares to compensate if I bought the stock after the ex-dividend date but a bit before the dividend is paid? It would make sense for there to be some automatic compensation, since otherwise people would simply short between ex-dividend and the payout date and make some quick cash. And I think we all know that there's no obvious automatic gains or losses like that in the market. In any case, it'll be educational. Thanks!

Newsletter

Subscribe to our email list for regular free market updates
as well as a chance to get coupons!