Investment Forum - Dividends.

Although delighted by previous answer, I am also astonished.I was expecting to be told "don`t be silly ". I bought , for the long term,£1k of Barclays stock on the 23rd.I was going over the various ratios as I still have a lot to learn.I noticed , ex-dividend 24th.Due to good luck, it looks as if I got in on the nick of time.Still seems too good to be true as I was brought up to believe.If its too good to be true, it probably is.
Cervantes.

The thing is this is not automatic (buying Cum and selling Ex. div)
As you know, there are many factors that influence the share price. Many more than just the effect of the dividend. So it is no good gaining the dividend and losing elsewhere. Any trade that immediately makes a 'technical' profit is called Arbitrage. And I don't think there are many, if any examples of this that still exist.
For example when the South African markets were  in existence (and due to the existence of a 'financial' Rand) it was possible to buy in London and immediately sell in S. Africa for a profit.
All the same it is a interesting idea (stripping dividends) but don't think it is guaranteed.
Did you understand the bit about selling Spec. Cum divided?

Not completely. Does that mean I sell the entire stock with dividend ?Or does it mean selling the stock and keeping the dividend ?
On the subject of Dividends, does a company go ex-div at their own discretion ?Regarding Barclays,when/how will I find out the DPS.

Cervantes, let's say you have bought Cum dividend just before the stock goes Ex. Ok so it is noe Ex. dividend and whatever you do you are entitled to the dividend.So you decide to sell. A normal sale will be marked Ex. Dividend and in fact you will see this againt the market price. So you sell Ex.D., get your sale proceeds and await your dividend cheque in a month or so.
But, alternatively, when you sell you canspecify 'special Cum. Div.'. This allowed up to a few days before the dividend is actually paid. The price you get will be the market price plus an extra bit for the net dividend. But of course you will not then receive your dividend cheque.
The Ex date is made up by the Stock Exchange. There is a set schedule of dividend declaration date and record date (books closed date) and Ex date.
Somewhere on the website there is a complete explanation.

Barclays.
Record Date: 26 February 2010
Ex-div Date: 24 February 2010 (Final DPS = 1.50 )
Payment Date: 19 March 2010

The record date is the deciding, or cut off, date on who will be posted the dividend. It doesn't decide who owns the dividend. This is decided by the Ex. Div date.

Thanks very much for your investigation work,I was unable to find the DPS.At 1.50,I should just about manage a pint of lager.Seriously,I have come a long way,from someone who did not know how to go about buying a share.I am very grateful to yourself.
My third aquisition is 3k of Investec.