John Hancock Diversified Income Fund
HEQFinancial Services · Asset Management · Stock · quarterly payer
Forward Yield
8.81%
Annual Dividend
$1.00
Payout Ratio
60%
5-Yr Growth
-5.6%
Ex-Date
Sep 11, 2026
Frequency
Quarterly
Key facts about HEQ's dividend
Data as of · Source: SmarterDividends data
- As of Oct 18, 2026, John Hancock Diversified Income Fund (HEQ) has a forward dividend yield of 8.81%, based on an annual dividend of $1.00 per share and a share price of $11.36.
- As of Oct 18, 2026, HEQ's dividend safety grade from SmarterDividends is C (61 out of 100), which rates the dividend as borderline.
- HEQ last cut its regular dividend in 2024.
- HEQ's most recent ex-dividend date was Sep 11, 2026, for a dividend of $0.25 per share.
- As of Oct 18, 2026, HEQ pays out 60% of its trailing 12-month earnings as dividends (its payout ratio).
- HEQ's dividend has shrunk at an average rate of 5.6% a year over the past five years.
- As of Oct 18, 2026, SmarterDividends' blended fair-value estimate for HEQ is $13.09 per share, 15% above the $11.36 share price, so HEQ screens as undervalued.
- John Hancock Diversified Income Fund (HEQ) pays its dividend quarterly, 4 times a year.
- John Hancock Diversified Income Fund (HEQ) has raised its regular dividend 3 times and cut it 3 times across the 61 payments on record since 2011. Its most recent change was a 13.8% cut to $0.250 per share, going ex-dividend on Sep 8, 2023.
Cite this page
SmarterDividends, "HEQ Dividend: Yield, Safety Grade & Next Ex-Date," updated Oct 18, 2026, https://smarterdividends.com/stocks/HEQ
Summary
As of Oct 18, 2026, John Hancock Diversified Income Fund (HEQ) yields 8.81% ($1.00 a year per share) and has a dividend safety grade of C (61/100).
Is HEQ a good dividend stock?
Yes, with caveatsJohn Hancock Diversified Income Fund (HEQ) pays a quarterly dividend yielding 8.81% ($1.00/yr), with 0 years of growth and a dividend-safety grade of C. It's a solid income payer, but check the caveats below before buying.
Advantages
- Comfortable payout ratio (60%)
Risks
- Cut its dividend in 2024
- Dividend has been shrinking, not growing
- Very high yield can signal elevated risk
- Share price is down over the past 5 years
Key Data
- Dividend Yield
- 8.81%
- Payout Ratio
- 60%
- Annual Dividend
- $1.00
- 5-Yr Avg Growth
- -5.6%
- Ex-Dividend Date
- Sep 11, 2026
- Years of Growth
- 0
- Frequency
- quarterly
- Beta
- —
- Market Cap
- $135.4M
- P/E Ratio
- 6.8
- 5-Yr Total Return
- -14%
- 52-Week Range
- $10.50 – $12.00
- Dividend Safety
- C · 61/100
- Ever Cut?
- Yes (2024)
HEQ dividend raises and cuts
John Hancock Diversified Income Fund (HEQ) has raised its regular dividend 3 times and cut it 3 times across the 61 payments on record since 2011. Its most recent change was a 13.8% cut to $0.250 per share, going ex-dividend on Sep 8, 2023.
| Ex-date | Change | Old → new | Move |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 8, 2023 | Cut | $0.290 → $0.250 | −13.8% |
| Sep 10, 2020 | Cut | $0.376 → $0.290 | −22.9% |
| Dec 10, 2013 | Raise | $0.323 → $0.376 | +16.4% |
| Sep 12, 2012 | Cut | $0.334 → $0.323 | −3.3% |
| Jun 7, 2012 | Raise | $0.324 → $0.334 | +3.1% |
| Mar 8, 2012 | Raise | $0.308 → $0.324 | +5.2% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is HEQ a good dividend stock?
Yes, with caveats. John Hancock Diversified Income Fund (HEQ) pays a quarterly dividend yielding 8.81% ($1.00/yr), with 0 years of growth and a dividend-safety grade of C. It's a solid income payer, but check the caveats below before buying.
Is HEQ undervalued?
Based on a blend of discounted cash flow, a dividend-discount model and an earnings-multiple estimate, HEQ's fair value is about $13.09 versus a $11.36 share price — so it looks undervalued (+15% vs. fair value).
Is HEQ's dividend safe?
HEQ has a dividend-safety grade of C (61/100), based on its payout coverage, free-cash-flow, 0-year growth streak, a dividend cut in 2024, debt and yield-versus-history.
What is HEQ's fair value?
Our blended fair-value estimate for HEQ is about $13.09 per share, roughly 15% above the current $11.36 price — combining a discounted cash flow, a dividend-discount model and an earnings multiple.
Is HEQ a buy, hold, or sell?
We don't issue formal ratings, but on the data HEQ screens as "yes, with caveats" and undervalued. John Hancock Diversified Income Fund (HEQ) pays a quarterly dividend yielding 8.81% ($1.00/yr), with 0 years of growth and a dividend-safety grade of C. It's a solid income payer, but check the caveats below before buying. This is research for your own analysis, not investment advice.
Will HEQ cut its dividend?
HEQ earns a dividend-safety grade of C (61/100), and has cut its dividend before (last in 2024). A higher score means lower cut risk based on payout coverage, cash flow and history — but no score guarantees a dividend.
Does HEQ pay a dividend?
Yes. John Hancock Diversified Income Fund pays a quarterly dividend of about $1.00 per share annually, a forward yield of roughly 8.81%.
What is HEQ's dividend yield?
As of Oct 18, 2026, HEQ's forward dividend yield is 8.81%, based on a $1.00 annual dividend and a $11.36 share price.
What is HEQ's dividend per share?
As of Oct 18, 2026, HEQ pays $1.00 per share per year, distributed on a quarterly basis.
What is HEQ's dividend payout ratio?
As of Oct 18, 2026, HEQ's payout ratio is 60% of trailing 12-month earnings — a comfortable level that leaves room to keep raising the dividend.
How many years has HEQ grown its dividend?
HEQ does not currently have a long dividend-growth streak on record.
When is the next HEQ ex-dividend date?
As of Oct 18, 2026, HEQ's next ex-dividend date hasn't been announced. The most recent was Sep 11, 2026, for $0.25 per share.
HEQ Price — Last 12 Months
Daily close
Price Return
1 Year
+4%
3 Years
+13%
5 Years
-14%
52-Week Range
$10.50 – $12.00
Price change over each period (excludes dividends). Past performance doesn't guarantee future results.
What is HEQ worth?
Undervaluedmedium confidenceOur blended fair-value estimate for John Hancock Diversified Income Fund is $13.09 per share, versus a market price of $11.36. That implies 15% of upside — a margin of safety of about 13%.
Fair Value
$13.09
Current Price
$11.36
Upside
+15%
Margin of Safety
13%
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: 9.3% discount rate (CAPM), 0.0% growth for five years fading to 2.5% over the next five, $1.68 EPS, $1.00 annual dividend. Updated weekly.
Fair-value estimates are model output for educational purposes only — not investment advice or a price target.
HEQ Dividend Safety Score
Borderline
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 HEQ dividend history →| Ex-Date | Pay Date | Amount | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 11, 2026 | Sep 30, 2026 | $0.2500 | regular |
| Jun 11, 2026 | Jun 30, 2026 | $0.2500 | regular |
| Mar 12, 2026 | Mar 31, 2026 | $0.2500 | regular |
| Dec 11, 2025 | Dec 31, 2025 | $0.2500 | regular |
| Sep 12, 2025 | Sep 30, 2025 | $0.2500 | regular |
| Jun 12, 2025 | Jun 30, 2025 | $0.2500 | regular |
| Mar 13, 2025 | Mar 31, 2025 | $0.2500 | regular |
| Dec 12, 2024 | Dec 31, 2024 | $0.2500 | regular |
| Sep 13, 2024 | Sep 30, 2024 | $0.2500 | regular |
| Jun 13, 2024 | Jun 28, 2024 | $0.2500 | regular |
| Mar 8, 2024 | Mar 28, 2024 | $0.2500 | regular |
| Dec 8, 2023 | Dec 29, 2023 | $0.2500 | regular |
| Sep 8, 2023 | Sep 29, 2023 | $0.2500 | regular |
| Jun 9, 2023 | Jun 30, 2023 | $0.2900 | regular |
Income Calculator
At $1.00 / yr per share
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