Entergy Raises Quarterly Dividend 6.3% to $0.68

Entergy Corporation raised its quarterly dividend 6.3% to $0.68 a share from $0.64. The stock’s next ex-dividend date is November 13, 2026, and the payment date is December 1, 2026. The increase extends the regulated utility’s dividend-growth streak to 11 years.

Why the dividend changed

Entergy’s declaration did not give a specific reason for the increase. The company’s regulatory filing describes a broader framework: its board evaluates dividends using utility earnings, the parent company’s results, financial strength and future investment opportunities. The latest decision therefore comes against a backdrop of steady earnings guidance and a widening capital program rather than a one-time transaction or corporate restructuring.

Entergy affirmed adjusted earnings guidance in its second-quarter results. Its accompanying quarterly filing showed stronger operating cash flow compared with the prior-year period, while investment outlays also increased. That combination reflects the central capital-allocation issue for Entergy: funding a large regulated investment program while maintaining the dividend.

The investment pipeline has expanded with demand from data centers and other large customers. Entergy Louisiana signed another service agreement with a Meta subsidiary and sought approval for seven combined-cycle generation resources totaling 5,278 megawatts, plus battery storage. The filing says those projects helped increase Entergy’s planned capital investment for 2026 through 2030. Entergy said the associated Meta agreement includes customer protections and infrastructure funding commitments. Regulatory approval and execution of that spending plan remain important to the company’s financial position.

Dividend track record

The latest increase continues a measured annual pattern. Entergy paid $0.60 a share in each of the first three listed 2025 quarters before moving to $0.64 in November 2025. It maintained $0.64 through the August 13, 2026, ex-dividend date before declaring $0.68 for the next payment.

Full-year distributions rose from $1.87 a share in 2020 to $1.93 in 2021, $2.05 in 2022, $2.17 in 2023, $2.30 in 2024 and $2.44 in 2025. The annual increases accelerated from 3.2% in 2021 to 6.2% in 2022, followed by increases of 5.9%, 5.8% and 6.3%. The five-year record amounts to 5.2% annual growth. Entergy has increased the dividend for 11 consecutive years, and its last annual cut was in 1999. The record indicates a consistent, moderate-growth policy rather than irregular increases.

Is the dividend covered?

Entergy’s dividend consumes 64% of earnings. That leaves part of reported profit available for reinvestment, debt service and other corporate needs, although the company’s large construction program creates competing demands for capital.

SmarterDividends rates the dividend A, with a safety score of 89. That falls within the very safe range of 80-100 and indicates strong coverage under the rating methodology. The grade also reflects the established payment record and the regulated nature of Entergy’s electric utility operations. It does not eliminate execution, financing or regulatory risks associated with the capital program.

Yield and valuation

At a share price of $110.11, Entergy has a 2.32% forward yield. That is below the Utilities sector median forward yield of 4.20%, meaning the stock provides less current dividend income than the sector midpoint. The annual dividend per share is $2.56, equivalent to $256.00 of annual income for every 100 shares.

The shares have recorded a 12.9% gain over one year. SmarterDividends estimates fair value at $86.50 and classifies the stock as overvalued, corresponding to 21% downside to fair value. The valuation assessment and below-median yield show that the market price incorporates more than the stock’s current income stream, including expectations tied to Entergy’s regulated investment opportunities.

What to watch

The immediate calendar item is the November 13, 2026, ex-dividend date, followed by payment on December 1, 2026. Investors also have Entergy’s third-quarter report, scheduled for November 2, 2026, before the market opens, according to the company’s news-release calendar. That update will provide a new reading on earnings guidance, financing and capital spending.

Regulatory decisions involving generation, transmission and data-center service agreements are the longer-running items. Entergy’s filings show that several planned projects depend on government approvals. The pace of approvals, construction spending and customer growth will help determine how much financial capacity remains after investment requirements and the 64% earnings payout.