hope someone answer this here? if I buy a 1000 shares of BP the day before dividend date (to share holders on 29 Dec) and sell right after the dividend date do I get the dividend? Thanks in advance
for all dividend stock, there is a record date and a payment date. you must have a settled position on the record date. lets say the record date for BP was 12-01-09 and payment date is 12-29-09 you would have to buy the stock on 11-26-09, settles in t+3 and if you sell the position on 12-02-09, you still get paid on 12-29!
Here's the skinny from the horses-mouth itself: http://www.sec.gov/answers/dividen.htm Just remember it can work both ways (i.e: if you're short at the wrong time, you're responsible for paying the dividend).
To simplify the explanation a bit, you get the dividend if you buy a stock before the ex-dividend date and don't sell it until (or after) the ex-dividend date. But specifically with regards to BP, the last ex-dividend date for the ADRs sold on the NYSE was November 10. The next ex-dividend date is February 17. You can find that information at this link. http://www.bp.com/extendedsectiongenericarticle.do?categoryId=9011616&contentId=7021347