6 U.S. Dividend Stocks Going Ex-Dividend This Week, Plus 2 From the UK (October 20–23, 2026)

Bar chart of approximate dividend yields for six U.S. stocks going ex-dividend October 20 to 23, 2026: Lakeland Financial about 3.6%, First Busey 3.5%, RPM International 2.3%, Kaiser Aluminum 2.1%, APA 2.0%, Coca-Cola Consolidated 0.5%

To collect a stock’s next dividend you have to own the shares before its ex-dividend date. Below are six U.S. dividend payers with ex-dividend dates this week (October 20–23, 2026), followed by two from the United Kingdom: the amount, the payment date and, just as important, what to check before you decide that the yield is worth having. Last week’s list is in our previous article.

How ex-dividend dates work (quick refresher)

Buy the stock before the ex-dividend date to receive the upcoming payment; buying on or after that date means you miss it.
For U.S. stocks the ex-dividend date and the record date are now the same day, which is why the company announcements below list the record date and the calendars list the same day as ex-dividend.
On the ex-dividend date the share price typically falls by roughly the dividend amount.
One quarterly payment is not a reason to buy a stock you would not otherwise hold.

The 6 U.S. stocks, in order of ex-dividend date

RPM International (RPM)

Ex-dividend / record date: October 20, 2026 (Tuesday)
Payment: $0.57 per share, payable October 30, 2026 (announced October 8), up 5.6% from $0.54 a year earlier; $2.28 a year
Yield: about 2.3%, if the share price is near $100 (Digrin shows $100.13 for October 2026, without a specific day)
What to check: RPM calls this its 53rd consecutive year of higher cash dividends. Some calendars still list the old $0.54 amount, so check the company release rather than a calendar.

APA Corporation (APA)

Ex-dividend / record date: October 22, 2026
Payment: $0.25 per share, payable November 23, 2026 (declared September 16)
Yield: about 2.0% (24/7 Wall St., October 19)
What to check: 24/7 Wall St. puts the payout ratio at about 21% and says the company aims to return at least 60% of 2026 free cash flow to shareholders. MarketBeat showed a trailing payout ratio of 34.8% on September 17, so the figure depends on the earnings measure used. APA is an oil and gas producer, so its cash flow follows commodity prices.

Lakeland Financial (LKFN)

Ex-dividend / record date: October 23, 2026
Payment: $0.52 per share, payable November 5, 2026
Yield: about 3.6% (24/7 Wall St., October 19); Digrin shows 3.3%, so the figure depends on the price date
What to check: Lakeland, the Indiana bank holding company behind Lake City Bank, reported record second-quarter net income of $28.4 million (July 27, 2026) and raised the quarterly dividend by 4% to $0.52 in January. 24/7 Wall St. says second-quarter EPS of $1.13 covered the dividend more than twice. I could not find the company’s own announcement of this specific payment, so the dates come from 24/7 Wall St. and The Right Trader; confirm them with your broker.

First Busey (BUSE)

Ex-dividend / record date: October 23, 2026
Payment: $0.26 per share, payable October 30, 2026 (declared October 13)
Yield: about 3.5% (24/7 Wall St., October 19)
What to check: 24/7 Wall St. says second-quarter adjusted EPS of $0.69 covered the dividend more than twice and that the payout ratio is around 43%. The yield is not inflated by a price drop: the stock is up about 27% this year. It is a bank, so results depend on interest rates and credit quality.

Kaiser Aluminum (KALU)

Ex-dividend / record date: October 23, 2026
Payment: $0.77 per share, payable November 13, 2026 (announced October 13)
Yield: about 2.1% (24/7 Wall St., October 19)
What to check: Earnings cover the dividend, but cash flow has been uneven. According to 24/7 Wall St., free cash flow was negative $25.5 million in 2025 against $51.3 million paid in dividends, then $103.6 million in the first half of 2026 against $26.4 million. The dividend has been flat at $0.77 since 2022, and the article calls it the riskiest name on its list.

Coca-Cola Consolidated (COKE)

Ex-dividend / record date: October 23, 2026
Payment: $0.25 per share, payable November 6, 2026 (announced October 9)
Yield: about 0.5% (24/7 Wall St., October 19)
What to check: The regular dividend is small next to the share price, so this is more of a total-return holding than an income stock. The company has also paid occasional special dividends, such as $16.50 in January 2024; only the regular quarterly rate should be counted when you estimate income.

From the UK: BAE Systems and Games Workshop

Two FTSE 100 companies also go ex-dividend on Thursday, October 22. Both are listed in London, so they are British rather than EU companies, and the amounts are in pence (100 pence = £1). For London-listed shares the ex-dividend date and the record date are different days.

BAE Systems (BA.)

Ex-dividend date: October 22, 2026 (record date: October 23)
Payment: interim dividend of 15.0p per share, payable December 2, 2026
Yield: not calculated here: this is a half-year payment, and the final dividend is decided separately
What to check: The half-year results (July 30, 2026) showed underlying EPS of 38.9p, up 13% at constant currency, a record order backlog of £84.0 billion and raised full-year guidance. The 15.0p interim is about 39% of that half-year EPS (my calculation). The timetable BAE published in February calls its interim dates provisional, so check the exact dates with your broker.

Games Workshop (GAW)

Ex-dividend date: October 22, 2026
Payment: 70p per share, payable November 27, 2026 (declared September 16), according to AJ Bell
Yield: not calculated here: the amount changes from payment to payment
What to check: Games Workshop’s payments are irregular. AJ Bell’s dividend table shows 50p, 110p, 90p, 140p and 70p in its last five payments, so do not multiply 70p by four to estimate income. AJ Bell reports that the company said trading is in line with board expectations for its 2027 financial year, with £3.00 per share declared so far against £2.25 for all of 2026. I could not find a record date in the sources I used.

High yield, or steady payer?

Highest yields: Lakeland Financial and First Busey, both regional banks with dividends covered more than twice by earnings, according to 24/7 Wall St., but both tied to interest rates and credit quality.
Long growth record: RPM, with 53 straight years of increases and a 5.6% raise this month.
Weakest cash-flow record: Kaiser Aluminum, with a flat dividend and negative free cash flow in 2025.
Not really an income stock: Coca-Cola Consolidated, with a yield around 0.5%.
Irregular payer: Games Workshop, where the amount changes every time.

Notes for European investors

U.S. dividends are subject to a 30% withholding tax by default, typically reduced to 15% (or the rate in your country’s treaty) once your broker has a W-8BEN form on file. Our W-8BEN guide explains the steps.
UK companies generally do not withhold tax on dividends, but your own country may tax them, and UK shares trade in pence, so your return also depends on the exchange rate.
The U.S. shares trade in dollars, so the euro–dollar rate matters here too.

Sources

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. Yields are approximate, use the prices behind each source (published October 19–20, 2026 or earlier) and change daily; ex-dividend dates and payout figures can change on short notice. Confirm current figures with your broker or the company’s investor relations page. Investing involves risk, including the possible loss of capital, and a dividend payment is never guaranteed.