Creek, that's how dividends work though. Normally the stock starts trading on ex dividend date lower by the dividend amount. Then the cash dividend gets paid a couple days later on the payable date, to the person that had the shares the day before the ex dividend date. So in cash dividends, you would normally need to own the stock the night before the ex dividend date and be entitled to the dividend even if you sold the next day before the dividend was paid. The reason again is that normally the stock goes down by the dividend amount on the ex dividend date so if you sold, you are selling for a lower price because the dividend will make you whole.