Essent Group Ltd.
ESNTFinancial Services · Insurance - Specialty · Stock · quarterly payer
Forward Yield
2.16%
Annual Dividend
$1.40
Payout Ratio
18%
5-Yr Growth
14.1%
Ex-Date
Aug 31, 2026
Frequency
Quarterly
Key facts about ESNT's dividend
Data as of · Source: SmarterDividends data
- As of Oct 18, 2026, Essent Group Ltd. (ESNT) has a forward dividend yield of 2.16%, based on an annual dividend of $1.40 per share and a share price of $64.70.
- As of Oct 18, 2026, ESNT's dividend safety grade from SmarterDividends is B (75 out of 100), which rates the dividend as safe.
- By SmarterDividends' count, Essent Group Ltd. (ESNT) has raised its dividend for 6 consecutive years as of Oct 18, 2026.
- ESNT has never cut its regular dividend in the payment history SmarterDividends has on record.
- ESNT's most recent ex-dividend date was Aug 31, 2026, for a dividend of $0.35 per share.
- As of Oct 18, 2026, ESNT pays out 18% of its trailing 12-month earnings as dividends (its payout ratio).
- ESNT's dividend has grown at an average rate of 14.1% a year over the past five years.
- As of Oct 18, 2026, ESNT's 2.16% yield is 23% above its five-year average yield of 1.75%.
- As of Oct 18, 2026, SmarterDividends' blended fair-value estimate for ESNT is $88.33 per share, 37% above the $64.70 share price, so ESNT screens as undervalued.
- Essent Group Ltd. (ESNT) pays its dividend quarterly, 4 times a year.
- Essent Group Ltd. (ESNT) has raised its regular dividend 12 times and cut it 0 times across the 27 payments on record since 2019. Its most recent change was a 12.9% increase to $0.350 per share, going ex-dividend on Mar 13, 2026.
Cite this page
SmarterDividends, "ESNT Dividend: Yield, Safety Grade & Next Ex-Date," updated Oct 18, 2026, https://smarterdividends.com/stocks/ESNT
Summary
As of Oct 18, 2026, Essent Group Ltd. (ESNT) yields 2.16% ($1.40 a year per share), has a dividend safety grade of B (75/100) and has 6 consecutive years of dividend increases on record.
Is ESNT a good dividend stock?
YesEssent Group Ltd. (ESNT) pays a quarterly dividend yielding 2.16% ($1.40/yr), with 6 years of growth and a dividend-safety grade of B. It scores well across payout coverage, growth history and safety — a dependable income holding.
Advantages
- Never cut its dividend on record
- Comfortable payout ratio (18%)
- Strong 14.1% 5-yr dividend growth
- 56% total price return over 5 years
Risks
- Single-stock concentration risk — diversify
Key Data
- Dividend Yield
- 2.16%
- Payout Ratio
- 18%
- Annual Dividend
- $1.40
- 5-Yr Avg Growth
- 14.1%
- Ex-Dividend Date
- Aug 31, 2026
- Years of Growth
- 6
- Frequency
- quarterly
- Beta
- 0.76
- Market Cap
- $5.8B
- P/E Ratio
- 9.0
- 5-Yr Total Return
- 56%
- 52-Week Range
- $55.34 – $70.37
- Dividend Safety
- B · 75/100
- Ever Cut?
- No
ESNT dividend raises and cuts
Essent Group Ltd. (ESNT) has raised its regular dividend 12 times and cut it 0 times across the 27 payments on record since 2019. Its most recent change was a 12.9% increase to $0.350 per share, going ex-dividend on Mar 13, 2026.
| Ex-date | Change | Old → new | Move |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 13, 2026 | Raise | $0.310 → $0.350 | +12.9% |
| Mar 14, 2025 | Raise | $0.280 → $0.310 | +10.7% |
| Mar 12, 2024 | Raise | $0.250 → $0.280 | +12.0% |
| Mar 9, 2023 | Raise | $0.230 → $0.250 | +8.7% |
| Nov 30, 2022 | Raise | $0.220 → $0.230 | +4.5% |
| Aug 31, 2022 | Raise | $0.210 → $0.220 | +4.8% |
| May 31, 2022 | Raise | $0.200 → $0.210 | +5.0% |
| Mar 9, 2022 | Raise | $0.190 → $0.200 | +5.3% |
| Nov 30, 2021 | Raise | $0.180 → $0.190 | +5.6% |
| Aug 31, 2021 | Raise | $0.170 → $0.180 | +5.9% |
| May 28, 2021 | Raise | $0.160 → $0.170 | +6.3% |
| Mar 9, 2020 | Raise | $0.150 → $0.160 | +6.7% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is ESNT a good dividend stock?
Yes. Essent Group Ltd. (ESNT) pays a quarterly dividend yielding 2.16% ($1.40/yr), with 6 years of growth and a dividend-safety grade of B. It scores well across payout coverage, growth history and safety — a dependable income holding.
Is ESNT undervalued?
Based on a blend of discounted cash flow, a dividend-discount model and an earnings-multiple estimate, ESNT's fair value is about $88.33 versus a $64.70 share price — so it looks undervalued (+37% vs. fair value).
Is ESNT's dividend safe?
ESNT has a dividend-safety grade of B (75/100), based on its payout coverage, free-cash-flow, 6-year growth streak, a clean no-cut history, debt and yield-versus-history.
What is ESNT's fair value?
Our blended fair-value estimate for ESNT is about $88.33 per share, roughly 37% above the current $64.70 price — combining a discounted cash flow, a dividend-discount model and an earnings multiple.
Is ESNT a buy, hold, or sell?
We don't issue formal ratings, but on the data ESNT screens as "yes" and undervalued. Essent Group Ltd. (ESNT) pays a quarterly dividend yielding 2.16% ($1.40/yr), with 6 years of growth and a dividend-safety grade of B. It scores well across payout coverage, growth history and safety — a dependable income holding. This is research for your own analysis, not investment advice.
Will ESNT cut its dividend?
ESNT earns a dividend-safety grade of B (75/100), with no dividend cut on record. A higher score means lower cut risk based on payout coverage, cash flow and history — but no score guarantees a dividend.
Does ESNT pay a dividend?
Yes. Essent Group Ltd. pays a quarterly dividend of about $1.40 per share annually, a forward yield of roughly 2.16%.
What is ESNT's dividend yield?
As of Oct 18, 2026, ESNT's forward dividend yield is 2.16%, based on a $1.40 annual dividend and a $64.70 share price.
What is ESNT's dividend per share?
As of Oct 18, 2026, ESNT pays $1.40 per share per year, distributed on a quarterly basis.
What is ESNT's dividend payout ratio?
As of Oct 18, 2026, ESNT's payout ratio is 18% of trailing 12-month earnings — a comfortable level that leaves room to keep raising the dividend.
How many years has ESNT grown its dividend?
As of Oct 18, 2026, ESNT has increased its dividend for 6 consecutive years.
When is the next ESNT ex-dividend date?
As of Oct 18, 2026, ESNT's next ex-dividend date hasn't been announced. The most recent was Aug 31, 2026, for $0.35 per share.
ESNT Price — Last 12 Months
Daily close
Price Return
1 Year
+3%
3 Years
+34%
5 Years
+56%
52-Week Range
$55.34 – $70.37
Price change over each period (excludes dividends). Past performance doesn't guarantee future results.
What is ESNT worth?
Undervaluedlow confidenceOur blended fair-value estimate for Essent Group Ltd. is $88.33 per share, versus a market price of $64.70. That implies 37% of upside — a margin of safety of about 27%.
Fair Value
$88.33
Current Price
$64.70
Upside
+37%
Margin of Safety
27%
How we get there
Dividend discount
Discounts the future dividend stream back to today.
Earnings multiple (Graham)
Graham's earnings-multiple formula, anchored to bond yields.
Assumptions: 8.1% discount rate (CAPM), 7.4% growth for five years fading to 2.5% over the next five, $7.17 EPS, $1.40 annual dividend. Updated weekly.
Fair-value estimates are model output for educational purposes only — not investment advice or a price target.
ESNT Dividend Safety Score
Safe
SmarterDividends' proprietary score, backtested against which dividends were actually cut over 15+ years (0.78 AUC). It blends a validated cut-risk model (growth streak, cut history) with current payout, cash-flow and debt. Higher is safer · not investment advice.
Dividend Growth
Total dividends per share by year
Dividend History
Full ESNT dividend history →| Ex-Date | Pay Date | Amount | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 31, 2026 | Sep 10, 2026 | $0.3500 | regular |
| Jun 1, 2026 | Jun 10, 2026 | $0.3500 | regular |
| Mar 13, 2026 | Mar 23, 2026 | $0.3500 | regular |
| May 30, 2025 | Jun 10, 2025 | $0.3100 | regular |
| Mar 14, 2025 | Mar 24, 2025 | $0.3100 | regular |
| Dec 2, 2024 | Dec 11, 2024 | $0.2800 | regular |
| Aug 30, 2024 | Sep 10, 2024 | $0.2800 | regular |
| May 31, 2024 | Jun 10, 2024 | $0.2800 | regular |
| Mar 12, 2024 | Mar 22, 2024 | $0.2800 | regular |
| Nov 30, 2023 | Dec 11, 2023 | $0.2500 | regular |
| Aug 31, 2023 | Sep 11, 2023 | $0.2500 | regular |
| May 31, 2023 | Jun 12, 2023 | $0.2500 | regular |
| Mar 9, 2023 | Mar 20, 2023 | $0.2500 | regular |
| Nov 30, 2022 | Dec 12, 2022 | $0.2300 | regular |
Income Calculator
At $1.40 / yr per share
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