Is 'date of record' the same as the 'ex-dividend date'?

No. The 'date of record' is the date the company looks at its records to see who owns shares. The 'ex-dividend date' is typically one business day BEFORE the date of record (due to trade settlement), marking the first day a stock trades without the dividend entitlement.

Can the 'date of record' be changed?

Once formally announced by a company's board of directors in a dividend declaration or meeting notice, the date of record is fixed and cannot be arbitrarily changed without a new official announcement.

Is 'date of record' used outside of stock dividends?

Yes, the concept extends to other contexts like bond interest payments, shareholder meetings (voting eligibility), stock splits, and other corporate actions where a definitive list of entitled parties is needed at a specific point in time.

What is a synonym most commonly used interchangeably with 'date of record'?

'Record date' is the exact synonym and is used interchangeably in all formal financial and legal documents.

date of record

C1/C2

UK/ˈdeɪt əv ˈrɛk.ɔːd/US/ˈdeɪt əv ˈrɛk.ɚd/

Formal; primarily financial, corporate, and legal

My Flashcards

Definition

Meaning

A specific, pre-announced date set by a company, used to determine which shareholders are eligible to receive a declared dividend or to vote at a meeting.

In broader financial contexts, a cutoff date established to determine eligibility for a benefit, right, or obligation (e.g., receiving a distribution, being counted in a census, or being subject to a new regulation).

Linguistics

Semantic Notes

This is a fixed financial/legal term. The key concept is a 'cutoff' for establishing a list of eligible parties. It is also called the 'record date'. It is distinct from the 'ex-dividend date' (the date after which new buyers are not entitled to the dividend) and the 'payment date' (when the dividend is actually paid).

Dialectal Variation

British vs American Usage

Differences

No significant difference in meaning. Spelling conventions follow national norms (e.g., 'record' vs. 'record'). The term 'record date' is equally common in both varieties.

Connotations

Neutral, technical term in both varieties.

Frequency

Equally frequent in UK and US financial circles. Rare outside of specific corporate/financial contexts.

Vocabulary

Collocations

strong

set a date of recorddetermine the date of recordbefore the date of recordon the date of recordestablish a date of recordthe company's date of record

medium

announce the date of recordspecify the date of recordmeet the date of record requirementas of the date of recordthe official date of record

weak

important date of recordupcoming date of recordfinal date of recordrelevant date of record

Grammar

Valency Patterns

The board will set [the date of record] for [the dividend].Shareholders on the register [as of] [the date of record] will receive the payment.[The date of record] for [the annual meeting] is [May 15th].

Vocabulary

Synonyms

Strong

record date

Neutral

record datecutoff dateeligibility date

Weak

reference datedetermination dateentitlement date

Vocabulary

Antonyms

ex-date (ex-dividend date)payment date

Phrases

Idioms & Phrases

“Be on the right side of the date of record.”

Usage

Context Usage

Business

The board announced a £0.50 per share dividend with a date of record of June 10th.

Academic

The study used the census date of record to define the population cohort.

Everyday

Rarely used in everyday conversation. Might be heard in news about stocks: 'To get the dividend, you must own the shares before the date of record.'

Technical

Per the bond indenture, holders as of the date of record shall receive the coupon payment.

Examples

By Part of Speech

verb

British English

The registrar will date the record of shareholders on the specified day.
They need to record the shareholdings as at that date.

American English

The transfer agent will date the shareholder record for eligibility.
We must record the ownership positions on that date.

adverb

British English

Shares were held record-date for the purpose of the vote.
The list was compiled record-date.

American English

Ownership is determined record-date for dividend purposes.
The count was taken record-date.

adjective

British English

The record-date shareholder list is final.
He is a record-date eligible holder.

American English

The record-date requirements are outlined in the proxy.
Record-date eligibility is key for the distribution.

Examples

By CEFR Level

If you own the stock on the date of record, you will get the dividend.
The date of record for the meeting is next Friday.

The company has set the date of record as July 1st for its upcoming special dividend.
To be eligible to vote, you must have been a shareholder of record on the declared date of record.

Investors who purchased shares after the ex-dividend date but before the date of record will not be entitled to the distribution, as settlement typically takes two business days.
The proxy statement clearly specifies the date of record for determining which shareholders may submit proposals at the AGM.

Learning

Memory Aids

Mnemonic

Think of a 'date of record' as the date when a company takes a 'photograph' (record) of its shareholder list. If you're in the picture on that date, you get the prize (dividend/vote).

Conceptual Metaphor

A SNAPSHOT DATE (a moment frozen in time to capture a list); A GATEKEEPING DATE (a threshold that determines inclusion/exclusion).

Watch out

Common Pitfalls

Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)

Avoid translating 'record' as 'рекорд' (achievement). It means 'запись' or 'учётная дата'. A direct translation 'дата записи' is possible but 'дата регистрации' or 'учётная дата' is more standard in finance.
Do not confuse with 'date of registration' (дата регистрации компании).

Common Mistakes

Confusing 'date of record' with 'ex-dividend date'. You must buy shares *before* the ex-dividend date to be registered by the date of record.
Using it in non-financial/administrative contexts where a simpler term like 'deadline' or 'cutoff' is appropriate.
Saying 'date of the record' (adding 'the' is uncommon).

Practice

Quiz

Fill in the gap

To receive the announced dividend, you must own the shares at least two business days before the , which is known as the ex-dividend date.

Multiple Choice

What is the primary function of a 'date of record'?

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

: No. The 'date of record' is the date the company looks at its records to see who owns shares. The 'ex-dividend date' is typically one business day BEFORE the date of record (due to trade settlement), marking the first day a stock trades without the dividend entitlement.
: Once formally announced by a company's board of directors in a dividend declaration or meeting notice, the date of record is fixed and cannot be arbitrarily changed without a new official announcement.
: Yes, the concept extends to other contexts like bond interest payments, shareholder meetings (voting eligibility), stock splits, and other corporate actions where a definitive list of entitled parties is needed at a specific point in time.
: 'Record date' is the exact synonym and is used interchangeably in all formal financial and legal documents.