Get Paid by September 1st with These 4 Dividend Stocks. But There’s a Catch.

The window to qualify for an August or September dividend from these four companies is closing fast. All four share a record date of Wednesday, August 12, 2026, which means under T+1 settlement, they also trade ex-dividend on August 12. To collect the upcoming payment, investors must buy the shares no later than Tuesday, August 11. Buy on the ex-date or later, and the seller keeps the check.

The distinction is simple but unforgiving. The ex-date determines who is entitled to the dividend, while the pay date is when the cash reaches the account, typically a couple of weeks later.

First Business Financial Services (FBIZ)

First Business Financial Services (NASDAQ:FBIZ) declared a quarterly common dividend of $0.34 per share on July 30, 2026, payable August 26. Importantly, Tuesday, August 11, is the final day to buy shares and qualify for the payment. The Wisconsin-based commercial bank has quietly gained ground, with shares up 32.6% year to date and 53.6% over the past year.

Coverage is the standout. Management pegged the payout at roughly 18% of Q2 2026 EPS, while diluted EPS came in at $1.84 versus the $1.56 consensus estimate. Net interest margin expanded to 3.78%, loans grew 10.3% year over year, and core deposits rose 13.6%. The counterweight is credit quality. Nonperforming assets increased to $38.1 million from $28.7 million a year earlier. The dividend looks comfortably covered, but the increase in troubled assets is something to watch.

FTAI Aviation (FTAI)

FTAI Aviation (NASDAQ:FTAI | FTAI Price Prediction) declared a quarterly common dividend of $0.50 per share, marking its fourth consecutive increase and up from $0.30 a year ago. The payment date is August 24, 2026, and Tuesday, August 11, is the final day to buy shares and qualify. With a trailing yield near 0.89%, the dividend is a supporting player in a growth-with-income story.

Headline coverage looks sound, with Q2 2026 diluted EPS of $1.13 against the $0.50 quarterly payout. The earnings picture is less clean. FTAI missed the consensus EPS estimate by 25.85%, while net income fell to $125.09 million from $161.69 million a year earlier. Management also trimmed Aviation Leasing adjusted EBITDA guidance to $475 million from $575 million as the business shifts toward an asset-light model. The balance sheet adds another layer of risk, with roughly $3.45 billion in long-term debt against $403.99 million in shareholders’ equity.

CEO Joe Adams framed the raise this way: “With our fourth consecutive dividend increase, we remain confident in our outlook and our ability to deliver sustained growth and long-term value for our shareholders.” Confidence, check; risk, also check.

Western New England Bancorp (WNEB)

Western New England Bancorp (NASDAQ:WNEB) declared a quarterly common dividend of $0.07 per share on July 28, 2026, payable August 26. The parent company of Westfield Bank operates 25 offices across western Massachusetts and northern Connecticut.

The $0.07 payout against latest EPS of $0.18 produces a payout ratio of approximately 39%, leaving comfortable coverage. However, EPS missed the consensus estimate by 25% as the bank absorbed a $1.8 million partial charge-off on a commercial real estate participation loan after the borrower filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in June 2026. Total criticized loans rose to 2.9% of total loans from 1.8% at year-end 2025, while nonaccrual loans increased to 0.35%.

Management expects to recover the remaining $1.6 million carrying value through a sale of the collateral. Beneath that credit issue, net interest margin expanded 20 basis points to 3.00%, and average loans grew 5.2% year over year. Earnings cover the dividend comfortably. Credit quality is the layer to watch.

Winmark (WINA)

Winmark (NASDAQ:WINA) represents the September 1 payment teased in the headline. The franchisor behind Plato’s Closet, Once Upon A Child, Play It Again Sports, Style Encore, and Music Go Round declared a quarterly dividend of $1.02 per share, payable September 1, 2026. The buy-by deadline is Tuesday, August 11. Its network spans 1,389 franchises.

Winmark’s Q2 2026 diluted EPS came in at $2.81, missing the $3.14 consensus estimate by 10.51%, but still comfortably covering the $1.02 payout with a ratio of roughly 36%. Royalties, the company’s recurring engine, grew to $20.12 million from $18.66 million. The balance sheet requires some context. Shareholders’ equity is negative $37.6 million, largely reflecting an aggressive buyback and dividend program at a capital-light franchisor. FY2025 free cash flow of $44.7 million comfortably supported the regular payout. SG&A rose to $7.51 million from $6.59 million as management spent ahead of the Plato’s Closet Ad Fund launch.

The Clock

Chasing a single dividend is not a strategy, and the payments here are modest relative to the share prices. For investors already considering these stocks, however, timing matters: miss the August 11 close, and you miss this cycle for all four. Coverage looks adequate across the group, but each name carries its own risk, from FTAI’s guidance cut to WNEB’s commercial real estate charge-off. Do the diligence before the clock runs out, but do not let the clock make the decision. If the stock does not work without the dividend, the upcoming check will not fix it.

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