Hi Orca. Sorry no I didn't know and I'm not sure what going ex-dividend means.
"Investopedia explains 'Ex-Dividend'
A stock trades ex-dividend on or after the ex-dividend date (ex-date). At this point, the person who owns the security on the ex-dividend date will be awarded the payment, regardless of who currently holds the stock. After the ex-date has been declared, the stock will usually drop in price by the amount of the expected dividend."
Even after reading the above I'm still not 100% sure what ex dividend means.
So as I google further people are saying that the words security and stock is used interchangeably. But above it implies they are different..."At this point, the person who owns the
security on the ex-dividend date will be awarded the payment, regardless of who currently holds the
stock"
So what then is a security...
"Investopedia explains 'Security'
Securities are typically divided into debt securities and equities. A debt security is a type of security that represents money that is borrowed that must be repaid, with terms that define the amount borrowed, interest rate and maturity/renewal date. Debt securities include government and corporate bonds, certificates of deposit (CDs), preferred stock and collateralized securities (such as CDOs and CMOs).
Equities represent ownership interest held by shareholders in a corporation, such as a stock. Unlike holders of debt securities who generally receive only interest and the repayment of the principal, holders of equity securities are able to profit from capital gains.
In the United States, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and other self-regulatory organizations (such as the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority) regulate the public offer and sale of securities."
All I know for now is that going ex-dividend usually means a drop in price, not sure why. And people who own securities get some kind of payment, but those who only own stocks get the short end.
Don't mind me then
I will get the hang of this eventually