RE: Why not a larger dividend26 Sep 2019 17:45
Ex-dividend date
To ensure you are a shareholder by the record date you need to buy shares at least one day before the ex-dividend date. This is because the standard settlement for UK equities is two working days.
Take the example of Company ABC, which sets a record date of Friday 5 May. The ex-dividend date would be Thursday 4 May.
If you bought shares on Wednesday 3 May the trade would settle two days later on 5 May so you would be on the share register on the record date and would qualify for the dividend.
If you bought shares on Thursday 4 May this would not settle until Monday 8 May. ‘You would not be on the share register as at the record date and therefore would not qualify for the dividend,’ explains Neil Evans, head of middle office at financial services firm Killik.
If you want to sell a stock and still receive the dividend that has been declared, you need to sell on or after the ex-dividend date. If you sell earlier, you will lose your right to claim the dividend.
Because record dates are usually on a Friday, most ex-dividend dates in the UK are on a Thursday.
The timescale will vary if a company pays special dividends or if it is an overseas issuer which only has a secondary listing on the London Stock Exchange.
https://www.sharesmagazine.co.uk/article/the-essential-guide-to-getting-dividends