Despite 'playing' with shares for a couple of months now and holding a steady portfolio for the last few years, I really don't know a great deal about dividends and what/when qualifies.
My understanding is that when a company goes ex-dividend, only people holding shares at that point in time will receive the dividend, usually a couple months later. However, is there any rule of thumb regarding how long you have held the shares before the ex-div date? If you sell between ex-div date and payment date, do you still get dividend?

I have a nice chunk in Lloyds, and they were ex-div yesterday (bought extras about week ago when price was falling). Does anyone know how long I need to hang on to the shares for without jeopardising the worthwhile dividend, and indeed, do I get a dividend anyway?

Please help in simple terms?!?!?

Thanks - Linzi

hi linzi, I hope I'm right (if I'm not I've lost even more money!)

whoever held shares on Tuesday at closing time will be entitled to the dividend

so you can sell them now, and you will still get the dividend

Loser, you are right. That why the most shares drop ex divi - as the selling starts!

Thanks so much for bothering to reply - I now understand!

All you need to do is be a holder of the shares at mkt open 08:00 on the ex divi date - then you can sell - therefore you can buy the day before & sell on the day - a couple of days after is record date - this is when your broker tells about who were the holders of the share.

I don't want to be gloomy but don't don't forget that Lloyds also issued interim results on the 1st Aug and judging how the share price has fallen immediately from that date onwards (from a peak of 4.85 just before) I can only conclude that the city was very disappointed by what they heard......

I don't think the city was disappointed - I think they just didn't believe what they heard!

They believed that Lloyds would be forced to cut dividend, if not now certainly sooner rather than later - but Lloyds did not suggest it was a possiblility, and so the city believe that they were not being realistic, and are now covering their backs in case the Lloyds board don't suceed in solving thier problems.

Personally I managed to make a small profit & will receive the very generous dividend for the second time this year so I'm happy. If it then drops I'm not complaining, because I can buy back at a good price, and still handle it if they do cut the dividend a bit and if they don't well I don't mind that either!

Hi Loser, I'm in the same boat as you and I too used to work for Lloyds. I'm hoping for a big jump in price when they finally sell NZ bank. Does anyone have any idea if this will be the case.

When they sort out thier problems at Scottish Widows (Loss making) and as long as they don't have any more nasty surprises still to come!

hi chrissie, hi little woman

if my wish came true, the scottish widow fine would be less than they accounted for, the new zealand sale would be more than the city expected, and nicole kidman would be knocking on my door (our door).

Dividends again - if you hold the shares on ex-div date, do you get BOTH the interim and final dividends

No. You must hold the shares at the close of business on the day prior to each ex dividend day. You can sell them after the start of business on the ex dividend day if you want.
It does not matter what you hold in between each dividend, as long as you have shares the day before each ex dividend day.

Lloyds to sell Scottish Widows to Prudential???????? Fingers crossed!

Snappy - I find these charts really useful. I am happily sitting on Lloyds at the moment!

Also look at "Lloyds Charts" thread