record date

record date

The date on which a firm's books are closed during the process of identifying the owners of a certain class of securities for purposes of transmitting dividends, interest, proxies, financial reports, and other documentation to them. For example, only the common stockholders who are listed on the record date will receive the dividends that are to be mailed on the payment date. Also called date of record. See also ex-dividend, interest dates.

Main Entry: record date
Function: noun
: the date on which a corporation determines the identity of its shareholders and their holdings (as for determining who is entitled to notice of a shareholder meeting or who is entitled to vote at such a meeting or to receive dividends) called also date of record