Due Bill is a term used to describe a statement of money owed and is used when describing a securities transaction when a dividend, interest or other distribution is reflected in the price but has not yet been distributed.
In some cases, special dividends may have different rules than regular dividends concerning the ex-dividend date. If a special dividend is less than 25% of the stock price, standard rules apply regarding the ex-dividend date (ex-date is before the record and pay date). However, if a special dividend is greater than 25% of the stock price*, the ex-dividend date will be after the record date and pay date.
In the case of a regular dividend or a special dividend of less than 25% of the share price, one would need to own a stock by the record date in order to be entitled to the dividend. However, this is not the case for special dividends that are more than 25% of the stock price. If one were to sell a stock after the record date but before the ex-dividend date, they would no longer be entitled to the dividend. The shares would be tagged with something called a "due bill" which means that the seller is obligated to pay the dividend to the buyer. Likewise, if one were to buy a stock after the record date but before the ex-dividend date (and hold it through the ex-date), they would be entitled to the dividend from the seller.
*Please Note
- The 25% or more rule is a general rule and will not apply in all cases. Certain foreign stock dividends will not follow the rule and some domestic stocks are granted an exclusion.
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