when a company is going ex-dividend, what does that mean?

[JakeandBA]

can someone help me understand?

for example SWK is going ex dividend soon.

 

[snoop]

in general people who bought stocks following day of div declaration date will not get shits from next div payouts because they're NOT on the record book when the company declared div payments

 

[JakeandBA]

thanks for the insight

 

[take2amphittoright]

When a company goes ex-dividend it means just that. It paid a dividend. If the stock was $31.80 and paid a dividend of $1.80 the stock becomes $30 and you collected $1.80. In effect you really got nothing. It is kind of like a stock split. If a stock splits 2 for 1 and you had 500 shares of a $40 stock you now have 1000 shares of a $20 stock. It is just a balance sheet adjustment.