Why this information is important: “Ex-dividend date” refers to the day a stock will begin trading excluding the value of the dividend which is currently being paid to shareholders. On the date the stock will begin trading ex dividend, the value of the current per-share dividend will be removed from the value of the stock. For example, if Apple paid a $2 per share dividend on May 10, shares of Apple should technically be trading $2 lower at the start of that day’s trading
