This is how Tesla describes the share dividend rollout in their latest SEC filling: (Sep 01)
Inline XBRL Viewer
"Stock Dividend Adjustments
"On August 10, 2020, the board of directors of Tesla declared a five-for-one forward split of its Common Stock in the form of a stock dividend to stockholders of record on August 21, 2020 (the “Stock Dividend”). The Stock Dividend was distributed after close of trading on August 28, 2020, and trading began on a stock split-adjusted basis on August 31, 2020. As of August 28, 2020, there were approximately 933,540,135 shares of Common Stock outstanding."
Absent other sources, I'm not seeing a lot of nuance here. I have my shares, and I could sell all of them if I wanted to, as of Market Open
yesterday, Aug 28th as Tesla describes.
<= Ed. note: should be Mon, Aug 31
The point is other beneficial owners DO NOT have their shares, and have only vague promises that they will receive them at an indeterminant future date.
Point to any other event in the past where this has happened during a stock dividend, then there may be useful context. Again, absent that, this is unprecented.