From what I understand, ONLY shareholders of by end of day on the record date(2-29) qualify for the 3-1 shares, But I just sent an email to DNYS to confirm!...can post their answer when I get it
No it doesn't really...it's the ex-date that is important. FINRA sets it based on info in filing received from company. I hope they have filed. Pay date is next important date. That's when split actually happens on trade open (or night before). Read below:
(b) Normal Ex-Dividend, Ex-Warrants Dates
(1) In respect to cash dividends or distributions, or stock dividends, and the issuance or distribution of warrants, which are less than 25% of the value of the subject security, if the definitive information is received sufficiently in advance of the record date, the date designated as the "ex-dividend date" shall be the second business day preceding the record date if the record date falls on a business day, or the third business day preceding the record date if the record date falls on a day designated by Nasdaq Regulation as a non-delivery date.
(2) In respect to cash dividends or distributions, stock dividends and/or splits , and the distribution of warrants, which are 25% or greater of the value of the subject security, the ex-dividend date shall be the first business day following the payable date.
(3) In respect to stock dividends and/or splits relating to American Depository Receipts (ADRs) and foreign securities, the ex-dividend or ex-warrants date shall be designated by Nasdaq Regulation.
Now a split might be viewed as not in the 25% category, since splits are market cap pre = market cap post, in which case ex-date could be 2 trading days before reported record date. But if FINRA says it in 25% category as special divy (in effect), they may put ex-date after the pay date, which is likely what happened the case of your divy situation (yes, I finally got around to your question...LOL).