FTSE 100 ex-dividend dates: October 2026
Whatever your investment strategy, it’s important to know when popular shares start trading without rights to the latest dividend. Graeme Evans names October’s ex-div stocks.
29th September 2026 14:26
by Graeme Evans from interactive investor
The income stock British American Tobacco (LSE:BATS) will be among the opportunities when companies worth about 9.5% of the FTSE 100 index are marked ex-dividend in October.
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The 13-strong line-up also includes the 3.8% yielding shares of B&Q owner Kingfisher (LSE:KGF), plus the heavily-weighted blue-chip stocks BAE Systems (LSE:BA.) and Diageo (LSE:DGE).
Ex-dividend dates are closely watched, particularly by income seekers who may look to time purchases before higher-yielding shares lose the right to the latest payment.
BAT trades with an annual dividend yield of 5.8%, with the cut-off point for the third quarter award of 61.26p being the start of trading on Thursday 1 October.
Shareholders on the register before Thursday can expect to receive their payment on 6 November.
Those interested in a capital gain rather than income might wait until the ex-dividend date in anticipation that, all things being equal, the loss of the dividend entitlement will make the shares cheaper to buy.
BAT shares opened this week at 4,180p, meaning a potential negative impact of about 1.47% when the tobacco giant is marked ex-dividend.
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The next biggest impact is 1.38% at Diageo, which plans to pay 30 US cents (22.66p) a share on 3 December.
The yield has fallen to 2.3% after the board rebased the dividend from the previous year's 62.98 US cents a share to bolster the balance sheet.
Diageo's ex-dividend date is Thursday 15 October, the same as for Smiths Group (LSE:SMIN). The industrial conglomerate's full-year award of 33.5p a share represents an impact of about 1.2%.
The other stocks braced for a dividend impact of more than 1% are Smith & Nephew (LSE:SN.) on 1 October and Kingfisher on 8 October.
The DIY chain, whose shares yield dividend income of 3.8%, is due to distribute an interim award of 3.8p a share on 13 November.
The impact of the BAE Systems ex-dividend date on 22 October is about 0.75%, which is based on plans to pay a half-year dividend of 15p on 2 December. The shares trade with a dividend yield of 2.0% and account for about 2.1% of the FTSE 100 index by weight.
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Meanwhile, the nominal 1p a share announced by Barratt Redrow (LSE:BTRW) in recent full-year results is due to be marked ex-dividend on 8 October. The housebuilder's forecast yield is down to 0.3% after it said the majority of its £400 million of capital returns would be through share buybacks.
Games Workshop Group (LSE:GAW) only pays dividends out of its “truly surplus” cash, which amid its continued run of strong trading means it will distribute 70p a share on 27 November.
The latest award is marked ex-dividend on 22 October and takes the total announced so far in 2026/27 to 300p, compared with 225p the year before. The shares yield 3%.
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Among other reasons for paying attention to ex-dividend dates might include for tax if an investor would rather not receive income.
However, markets can be volatile and timing your trades based on certain dates in the diary carries a risk that the share price moves against you.
| Company | Price (p) | Ex-dividend date | Final, Interim or Quarterly | Dividend due (p) | Forecast yield (%) | Index weight (%) |
| British American Tobacco (LSE:BATS) | 4,186.0 | 01-Oct | Q | 61.26 | 5.8 | 3.80 |
| Weir (LSE:WEIR) | 2,727.0 | 01-Oct | I | 20.00 | 1.7 | 0.25 |
| Smith & Nephew (LSE:SN.) | 1,012.0 | 01-Oct | I | $0.156 | 3.0 | 0.37 |
| F&C Investment Trust Ord (LSE:FCIT) | 347.4 | 01-Oct | Q | 0.99 | 1.3 | 0.27 |
| Barratt Redrow (LSE:BTRW) | 343.6 | 08-Oct | F | 1.00 | 0.3 | 0.15 |
| Kingfisher (LSE:KGF) | 330.1 | 08-Oct | I | 3.80 | 3.8 | 0.19 |
| Howden Joinery Group (LSE:HWDN) | 780.5 | 15-Oct | I | 5.10 | 2.9 | 0.18 |
| Diageo (LSE:DGE) | 1,611.0 | 15-Oct | F | $0.30 | 2.6 | 1.36 |
| Spirax Group (LSE:SPX) | 7,318.0 | 15-Oct | I | 50.40 | 2.5 | 0.20 |
| Smiths Group (LSE:SMIN) | 2,883.0 | 15-Oct | F | 33.50 | 1.8 | 0.31 |
| BAE Systems (LSE:BA.) | 1,964.0 | 22-Oct | I | 15.00 | 2.0 | 2.17 |
| Games Workshop Group (LSE:GAW) | 17,850.0 | 22-Oct | Q | 70.00 | 3.0 | 0.28 |
| JD Sports Fashion (LSE:JD.) | 80.1 | 29-Oct | I | 0.40 | 1.7 | 0.07 |
Source: interactive investor, ShareScope. Data and dividend conversions to sterling from US dollars and euros at exchange rate correct on 29 September 2026. FTSE 100 indicative index weight data as at closing on 30 June 2026.
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