Investing in dividend stocks means keeping track of a lot of dates. Many companies pay dividends quarterly, some only pay them annually or semi-annually, while a few others are monthly dividend stocks.
On top of that, you generally won’t receive a dividend if you only buy the stock on the date it’s paid out. To receive a dividend payment, you must own the stock before the ex-dividend date, which is usually weeks before the payment date.
Our weekly blue-chip dividend calendar can help you keep track of upcoming dividends from some of the most valuable stocks on the market. This week’s blue-chip ex-dividend dates include several big tech stocks and biotech stocks, as well as a notable retailer.
Alphabet Inc. (GOOG)
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Ex-dividend date: Dec. 8, 2025
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Payment date: Dec. 15, 2025
Alphabet, best known as the parent company of Google, is the world’s third-largest tech company after Amazon and Apple, and an industry leader in many emerging technologies such as AI and autonomous vehicles. It has chosen to pay a modest dividend in terms of yield, reinvesting most of its profits rather than paying them out to shareholders.
UnitedHealth Group (UNH)
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Ex-dividend date: Dec. 8, 2025
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Payment date: Dec. 16, 2025
UnitedHealth Group is the largest health insurer in the U.S., and has a long history of dividend payout growth over time.
Walmart Inc. (WMT)
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Ex-dividend date: Dec. 12, 2025
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Payment date: Jan. 5, 2026
Walmart is the world’s largest retailer. It’s also a dividend aristocrat — an S&P 500 stock that has increased its dividend payout every year for at least 25 years.
Meta Platforms (META)
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Ex-dividend date: Dec. 15, 2025
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Payment date: Dec. 23, 2025
Meta Platforms is the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and Whatsapp, as well as VR headset manufacturer Meta Quest (formerly Oculus). It only started paying a dividend in March 2024, but has gradually increased its quarterly payout since then.
Merck & Co. (MRK)
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Ex-dividend date: Dec. 15, 2025
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Payment date: Jan. 8, 2026
Merck & Co. is one of the largest drug companies in the world, with much of its revenue coming from cancer immunotherapies such as Keytruda. It has been steadily increasing its quarterly dividend payouts for more than a decade.
Thermo Fisher Scientific (TMO)
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Ex-dividend date: Dec. 15, 2025
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Payment date: Jan. 15, 2026
Thermo Fisher Scientific is one of the largest suppliers of lab equipment to the health care and life sciences sector. It has been steadily growing its dividend for more than five years.
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Neither the author nor editor owned positions in the aforementioned investments at the time of publication.
