The latest Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Co. Ltd (ASX: SOL), or Soul Patts, has just announced its dividend for its FY26 results.

It may not have the biggest dividend yield on the ASX, but the investment conglomerate has been incredibly consistent for shareholders.

Soul Patts has rewarded shareholders with another good dividend increase, to add to the payout growth the company has already delivered this decade.

Let’s take a look at what the next payout will be for investors.

Soul Patts dividend

The board of directors declared a final dividend of 63 cents per share, representing a year-over-year increase of 6.8%.

This brought the full-year dividend per share to $1.11, an increase of 7.8% from FY25.

A key driver of the company’s dividend is its net cash flow from investments (NCFI). The NCFI increased 11.5% to $572 million, driven by credit (a larger credit book and strong results), private companies (continued cash generation) and real assets (industrial property). On a per-share basis, NCFI increased by 8.3% year-over-year. So, the company has passed on nearly all of the NCFI increase to shareholders in the form of a higher dividend.

Soul Patts revealed that the FY26 annual dividend is 73% of NCFI, which is both rewarding and sustainable for shareholders.

Its annual dividend has grown at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.4% over the last five years. Impressively, the business has raised its regular annual dividend for the last 28 years, with dividend growth at a 10.4% CAGR.

At the time of writing, the annual dividend of $1.11 equates to a grossed-up dividend yield of 3.4%, including franking credits, at the time of writing.

When will this be paid?

The business has only just announced the dividend, but it won’t be long before the company pays it out to investors.

Before we get to the payment date, we need to look at the ex-dividend date. That’s the cut-off date for entitlement to this payment.

Soul Patts has stated that the ex-dividend date is Monday, 12 October 2026, which is less than three weeks away. That means investors need to own Soul Patts shares by the end of trading on Friday, 9 October 2026, to be entitled to this dividend.

Following that, the payment date for the final dividend is 5 November 2026.

Shareholders can also decide to receive new Soul Patts shares rather than cash as their dividend, if they take part in the dividend re-investment plan (DRP). Investors need to elect to join the DRP by 5pm on 14 October 2026.

The post Everything you need to know about the Soul Patts dividend appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison has positions in Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Company Limited. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Company Limited. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Company Limited. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

S&P/ASX All Ords Index (ASX: XAO) shares are down 0.6% to 8,900.2 points on Thursday.

The energy sector is leading today, up 1%, after Iran President Masoud Pezeshkian gave a speech at the UN General Assembly.

Pezeshkian said Iran would not allow ships through the Strait of Hormuz as long as the US blockade and sanctions remained in place.

The real estate sector is the laggard today, down 1.7%, as the market continues to anticipate an 0.25% interest rate rise next week.

Meanwhile, the experts have reduced their ratings on numerous ASX shares.

Let’s see a sample.

Resolute Mining Ltd (ASX: RSG)

The Resolute Mining share price is $1.20, down 2.3% today.

Over the past month, this ASX 200 gold share has fallen 11%.

Macquarie downgraded Resolute Mining shares to a hold rating on Monday.

The broker lowered its 12-month price target from $1.45 to $1.35.

This implies a potential 12% upside ahead.

Elders Ltd (ASX: ELD)

The Elders share price is $6.46, up 0.8% today.

Over the past month, this ASX 200 consumer staples share has ascended 11%.

Citi downgraded Elders shares to a hold rating this week.

The broker has a 12-month price target of $6.60.

This suggests a potential 2% upside ahead.

New Hope Corporation Ltd (ASX: NHC)

The New Hope Corporation share price is $5.84, down 0.2% today.

Over the past month, this ASX 200 coal share has fallen 1%.

Morgans downgraded New Hope shares to a hold recommendation this week.

The broker said: 

Strong run, balanced view – NHC shares have rallied 60% YTD, supported by stronger coal prices and improving market sentiment. While we remain constructive on thermal coal fundamentals, the recent share price performance may provide an opportunity for investors to crystallise some gains.

Cash surprise drives dividend beat – Strong operational delivery and a year-end cash balance of A$485m supported a fully franked 30cps final dividend, materially ahead of MorgansF (20cps) and consensus (14cps).

Operational performance exceeded expectations – NHC delivered record saleable coal production of 11.5Mt and coal sales of 11.8Mt, exceeding the top end of guidance and demonstrating the resilience of its operations despite disruptions throughout the year.

AIC Mines Ltd (ASX: A1M)

The AIC Mines share price is 88 cents, down 4% today.

Over the past month, this ASX mining share has risen 8%.

MA Financial Group downgraded this gold and copper miner to a hold rating yesterday.

The broker increased its 12-month price target from 77 cents to 89 cents.

This implies a potential 1% gain over the next year. 

The post Which ASX shares just got downgraded by brokers? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

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• Bought $5,000 worth of New Hope and BHP shares 5 years ago? Guess how much passive income you’ve already earned!
• Soul Patts vs BHP: Which ASX share is best for beginners?

Citigroup is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. Motley Fool contributor Bronwyn Allen has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Macquarie Group. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Elders, Ma Financial Group, and Macquarie Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) shares are 0.8% lower at 8,691.8 points on Thursday.

Here are some new expert recommendations on three ASX stocks.

Lovisa Holdings Ltd (ASX: LOV)

The Lovisa share price is steady at $24.52 today, and down 36% over 12 months. 

Bell Potter upgraded this ASX consumer discretionary share from hold to buy.

The broker kept its price target at $27.

Analyst Chami Ratnapala said: 

While we remain cautious on the current weak consumer landscape and investments into market share & store refits to mitigate competitive pressures in key markets, we see a higher tolerance re accessibility from a low price point perspective together with a strong gross margin.

Post the market sell-off, we think the current valuation at ~22x FY27e P/E (BPe) which is a ~20% discount to LOV’s recent mid-cycle P/E as BPe of 28.5x appears attractive, and we upgrade our recommendation to BUY.

BlueScope Steel Ltd (ASX: BSL)

The Bluescope share price is $30.44, up 1.4% today and up 35% over 12 months. 

Andrew Wielandt from DP Wealth Advisory has a hold rating on this ASX 200 materials share. 

Wielandt said (courtesy The Bull):  

BlueScope delivered a strong result in full year 2026. Underlying earnings before interest and tax increased to $1.273 billion, supported by stronger US steel production, margins and a record Southeast Asian performance.

Management delivers disciplined cost management. We expect free cash flow to improve and and support total shareholder returns.

However, BSL remains a cyclical business. Despite the business performing well, the operating environment remains volatile, which is behind our hold recommendation.

Echo IQ Ltd (ASX: EIQ)

The Echo IQ share price is 69 cents, up 7% today and up 260% over 12 months. 

Bell Potter downgraded this ASX tech share from speculative hold to speculative sell.

The broker slashed its 12-month price target from $1.75 to 30 cents.

Analyst John Hester said:

The company’s 510(k) application for registration of EchoSolv HF has been rejected by the FDA.

The agency issued a detailed ‘Not Substantially Equivalent’ notice which describes the reasons for its decision.

The company revealed little regarding the contents of the NSE and only highlighted disagreement on matters of statistical
analysis.

EIQ intends to hold further dialogue with the Agency in order to determine if there is a path forward, hence it created an expectation for a future approval either via a resubmission of the 510(k) or alternative registration pathway.

The post Buy, hold, sell: Echo IQ, Bluescope Steel, Lovisa shares appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Top broker names 2 growing ASX dividend shares to buy now
• Down 65%: Is it a good time to buy this exciting ASX tech stock?
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• Lovisa vs Universal Store shares: Which ASX retail stock is the better buy today?
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today

Motley Fool contributor Bronwyn Allen has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Lovisa. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Lovisa. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.