5 High-Yield Dividends With Ex-Dates Days Away: Buy Before the Window Closes
Four dividend stocks from Philip Morris to JPMorgan Chase have ex-dates landing within days, and missing the cutoff means the payout goes to the seller. The clock is already running.
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Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM | PM Price Prediction), Bristol Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY) and Sysco (NYSE:SYY) all go ex-dividend on October 2, 2026. That means the window to capture their upcoming payments closes when the market shuts on Thursday, October 1. JPMorgan Chase (NYSE:JPM) gives buyers a few extra trading days. Each name below gets a coverage check so the payout you chase is one the business can actually afford.
The ex-dividend date is the deadline that matters: shares need to be held before it to receive the payment, while the pay date is simply when the cash arrives. Purchases made on or after the ex-date mean the seller keeps that dividend.
Edison International (NYSE:EIX) was cut from this list. Its dividend record shows no declared payment beyond the July 7, 2026 ex-dividend date, nor any upcoming payment date, so its next deadline could not be confirmed.
Philip Morris International (PM): A Bigger Check With an October 1 Buy-By Deadline
Philip Morris will pay $1.60 per share on October 26, 2026 to holders who own the stock before October 2, 2026, when shares go ex-dividend, so the last day to buy is Thursday, October 1. The payment rises from $1.47 last quarter and raises the annualized forward dividend to $6.40. The trailing yield is 3.03%. The company sells Marlboro cigarettes plus smoke-free products such as IQOS and ZYN in more than 180 countries.
Coverage is the tightest on this list. The forward dividend stands close to trailing diluted EPS of $7.29, leaving a thin GAAP margin. Adjusted EPS guidance of $8.26 to $8.41 for 2026 offers more room, and full-year operating cash flow is guided to roughly $13.5 billion. The company has $43.1 billion in net debt and a $6.7 billion stockholders’ deficit, with no buybacks planned in 2026. The yield reflects payout growth rather than a falling price: shares are up 20.87% year to date at $190.58.
Bristol Myers Squibb (BMY): Highest Yield Here, Same October 1 Cutoff
Bristol Myers will pay $0.63 per share on November 2, 2026, and shares go ex-dividend on October 2, 2026. Buyers need shares by Thursday’s close. The yield of 3.99% leads this group. The drugmaker sells medicines across cancer, cardiovascular disease and immunology, including Eliquis.
Dividend coverage looks comfortable. The $2.52 annual rate compares with 2026 non-GAAP EPS guidance of $6.05 to $6.35, and trailing GAAP diluted EPS of $4.54 also tops the bar. This year marked the 17th consecutive annual increase. Net debt is about $33.6 billion, and roughly $5 billion of buyback authorization remains. Shares are up 45.91% over the past year, though down 5.99% over the past month, at a forward P/E of about 9.
Sysco (SYY): Solid Free Cash Flow, but a Falling Share Price
Sysco will pay $0.55 per share on October 23, 2026, and the ex-date is October 2, 2026, so buyers must act by Thursday’s close. The yield is 2.76%. Sysco distributes food and kitchen supplies to restaurants, hospitals, schools and hotels.
The forward dividend of $2.20 is well covered by fiscal 2026 adjusted EPS of $4.61, with a thinner margin against GAAP diluted EPS of $3.66. Cash backs it up: fiscal 2026 free cash flow reached $2.11 billion, and fiscal 2027 guidance calls for adjusted EPS growth of 9% to 11%. The pending Jetro Restaurant Depot acquisition is the item to keep an eye on.
Part of this yield comes from price weakness. Shares fell 8.78% over the past month and 7.63% over the past year, and the latest quote of $73.96 stands 5.13% below the prior $77.96.
JPMorgan Chase (JPM): A Raised Payout With an October 5 Buy-By Deadline
JPMorgan declared a $1.65 per share dividend on September 15, 2026, up from $1.50. It pays on October 31, 2026, and shares go ex-dividend on October 6, 2026, a Tuesday, so the last day to buy is Monday, October 5. The trailing yield of 1.78% is the lowest here, making this a dividend-growth name more than a high-yield one. JPMorgan is one of America’s Big Four banks, covering consumer banking, investment banking and asset management.
For a bank, EPS is the right coverage base, and it leaves ample room. Trailing diluted EPS is $23.33 against an annualized forward dividend of $6.60. Second-quarter adjusted EPS came in at $6.14, CET1 capital stood at 14.3% in the first quarter, and a new $50 billion buyback took effect in July. Shares slipped 7.3% over the past month but remain up 6.62% over the past year.
Own the Business First, Then Collect the Check
A single quarterly dividend is not a reason to buy a business you would not otherwise own, and chasing a payout into an unwanted position is a losing trade. Share prices typically adjust lower by about the dividend when the stock goes ex-dividend. If the deadline passes, so does the payment, so if any of these four fit your income plan, the calendar above is the one to follow (and if the goal is a portfolio that funds retirement without ever selling a share, we laid out how to build that dividend ladder in a free guide here).
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Chris Lange is a financial and geopolitical writer with more than a decade of experience covering a myriad of topics. He has published thousands of articles for 24/7 Wall St., with past coverage focused heavily on stocks, IPOs, healthcare, defense, global affairs, and technology.
His work has been quoted, or referenced by a number of outlets including Business Insider, USA Today, Yahoo Finance, MSN, The Motley Fool, and many other publications. A graduate of Southwestern University, he studied business with a focus on investments and has previous experience in banking and startups.
When not reading or writing the news, he is following his passion for Lacrosse, playing chess, or building solar projects with his dad.
