Meanings of go ex in English

A number of UK listed companies going ex-dividend also helped weaken the market.

Woodside and Wesfarmers both took a dive after going ex dividend.

Companies going ex-dividend took an estimated 12.3 points off the index.

Vodafone's 12p decline was worth 30 points off the blue-chip benchmark, while stocks going ex-dividend took off a further eight points.

The leading index finished 7.4 points off at 3803.3, a decent performance considering that stocks going ex dividend knocked off 11 points.

Egypt Kuwait Holding slipped 2.5 percent as the stock traded ex-dividend and Oriental Weavers Carpet declined a further 7 percent after going ex-dividend on Monday.

The best of the big names on the day was AIB, where shares finished 22 cent higher at €18.05, despite going ex-dividend by 23 cent.