Apple Dividend 2026: Yield, History and Ex-Date

Yes, Apple (AAPL) pays a dividend. As of late September 2026 the stock yields roughly 0.32%, paid as a $0.27 quarterly cash dividend (about $1.08 on an annualized basis), and its most recent ex-dividend date fell on August 10, 2026, according to StockAnalysis and Apple's own dividend history. The next quarterly payout is expected in mid-November 2026, subject to a board declaration usually made in late October.

Apple's 0.32% Yield and $0.27 Quarterly Dividend

Apple is a low-yield, capital-return-heavy dividend payer. The income is modest, but it is backed by one of the largest cash-generating engines in the market. Here is the current snapshot.

According to StockAnalysis, Apple's dividend yield is about 0.32%, with a $1.08 annualized dividend and a payout ratio near 12.4%. Per Apple's board declaration filed with the SEC, the most recent $0.27 dividend carried a record date of August 10, 2026 and a payable date of August 13, 2026. These figures move with the share price and with each quarterly declaration, so treat them as a snapshot rather than a fixed rate.

Apple's Dividend Per Share Rose From $0.23 to $0.27 Since 2022

Apple has raised its quarterly dividend once a year, almost always in its April-to-May declaration, at a steady pace of roughly one cent per quarter per year. The table below shows the post-raise quarterly rate and the annualized run-rate for each year, based on Apple's dividend history and StockAnalysis.

As reported by StockAnalysis, Apple has now increased its dividend for 14 consecutive years, with the latest raise (from $0.26 to $0.27) taking effect in the spring of 2026 and one-year dividend growth of around 3.9%. The pattern is slow, single-digit growth rather than the high-double-digit hikes some dividend-growth investors chase. For an income-focused reader, that consistency is the point: small, reliable, annual increases from a company with little history of stress on the payout.

A 12% Payout Ratio and Over $130B of Free Cash Flow

Apple's dividend looks well-covered on the numbers available. According to StockAnalysis, the payout ratio sits near 12.4%, meaning dividends consume only about an eighth of net income and stay well below Apple's own historical range. The cash-flow picture is wider still. Apple reported free cash flow of $98.8 billion in fiscal 2025 and $136.7 billion on a trailing-twelve-month basis through late June 2026, per StockAnalysis, while its board declaration filed with the SEC showed $116.996 billion of operating cash flow in the first nine months of fiscal 2026 alone.

Free cash flow of that size dwarfs Apple's total dividend outlay, which is why the payout ratio stays so low. A low payout ratio and free cash flow many times the dividend bill are the two cleanest signs that a dividend is not living on borrowed money. This is a read of the current financials and does not guarantee that Apple will keep paying or keep raising the dividend. The board reviews the payout each quarter, and a large share of Apple's cash return still goes to buybacks rather than dividends.

When Is Apple's Next Ex-Dividend Date?

Apple's most recently completed dividend had an ex-dividend date of August 10, 2026 and was paid on August 13, 2026, per Apple's dividend history. Based on the company's consistent quarterly cadence, the next ex-dividend date is expected around mid-November 2026, with the dividend usually declared by the board in late October. Apple had not formally declared that dividend as of late September 2026, so the exact date and amount are not yet confirmed.

The ex-dividend date matters for one practical reason. To receive a declared dividend, you generally need to own the shares before the ex-dividend date. Buy on or after the ex-date and the seller, not you, collects that quarter's payout. At a yield near 0.32%, the timing is a minor consideration for most long-term holders, but it is the mechanical rule that decides who receives each payment.

Why Apple's Yield Looks Small Next to a 5% Treasury

A 0.32% dividend yield is not an income play in the traditional sense. With US Treasury yields pushed to multi-year highs (see our note on US Treasury yields hitting their highest since 2007), a risk-free government bond currently pays many times what Apple's dividend yields. Investors who own Apple are almost always there for the earnings growth and buybacks, with the dividend as a secondary, slowly rising bonus.

This is typical of mega-cap technology. Microsoft runs a similar low-yield, steadily-growing dividend, while Nvidia, whose dividend is a rounding error against its share price, shows how the fastest-growing names in the group treat dividends as almost an afterthought. Nvidia's story is one of AI-driven growth, as covered in our AI chip and semiconductor momentum piece. For Apple, the dividend is best understood as a signal of financial discipline and shareholder return, not as the main reason to own the stock.

This article is for education and information only and is not investment advice. Investment decisions are your own after doing your own research.

Want to start investing in US stocks from $1? Open an account with Gotrade today.

Sources

• Dividend History (Apple Investor Relations)
• Form 8-K, Third Quarter Fiscal 2026 (U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission)
• Apple (AAPL) Dividend History, Dates and Yield (StockAnalysis)
• Apple (AAPL) Cash Flow Statement (StockAnalysis)