Record date (Dividendenstichtag)
The cut-off date on which it is determined who receives the dividend.
In short
As of 8 October 2026The record date is the cut-off on which it is determined which shareholders receive the dividend. It falls one business day after the ex-dividend date, because trades settle two days after they are made. For investors, the ex-date is what matters: if you buy by the day before it, you get the dividend.
On the record date the custodian checks whose brokerage account holds the shares. Those shareholders receive the dividend. Because trades settle two days after they are made, the record date falls one business day after the ex-dividend date.
For you as an investor, the ex-date is what really matters: if you buy by the day before, you are on the register on the record date. US stocks use the same terms; they usually pay quarterly and withholding tax applies.
Example: annual meeting on Wednesday, ex-date Thursday, record date Friday, payment the following Monday. The dividend then lands in your cash account. More in the chapter on dividends.
Related terms
Sources
As of 8 October 2026 · Educational content, not investment or tax advice.