Eight SCHD Holdings Are Already Paying More in Q4, and Two of Them Are Top 20 Positions
Q4 is SCHD's biggest dividend quarter of the year more often than not, and the raises feeding it are already rolling in. If you own the Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF ($SCHD), here's why that matters: SCHD doesn't set its own dividend. It collects the cash dividends paid by its roughly 100 holdings and passes that income through to shareholders. Every raise a holding pays before SCHD's December ex-date is more cash in the Q4 pot.
So far, eight SCHD holdings are paying higher dividends in Q4 2026: City Holding ($CHCO) +14.9%, American Financial Group ($AFG) +10.2%, Texas Instruments ($TXN) +7.0%, Fifth Third ($FITB) +5.0%, Ennis ($EBF) +5.0%, Accenture ($ACN) +4.9%, Bank OZK ($OZK) +2.1%, and Virtus Investment Partners ($VRTS) +2.1%. We verified every number against each company's own announcement. Full sources, including SCHD Stan (Craig) on X, who has been logging these raises as they hit, are listed at the bottom of this page.
📌 How we define a "Q4 raise"
This tracker counts a raise in the quarter when SCHD actually collects the bigger check, not the day it's announced. $TXN and $VRTS announced their increases in Q3 (both appear on our Q3 2026 tracker), but their first higher payments land on November 10 and November 13. That cash belongs to SCHD's Q4 distribution, so it belongs here too.
The headline percentages are led by small banks and insurers. The income is led by two tech names. Texas Instruments and Accenture alone are about 7.3 of the 8.9 percentage points of fund weight raising, and Texas Instruments got even more important after September's rebalance pushed it to SCHD's #2 holding.
Q4 2026 SCHD Dividend Tracker: Sorted by Weight in SCHD
A 15% raise from a 0.05% position moves SCHD's income less than a 5% raise from a 2.86% position. That's why we sort by weight, not by headline percentage. We also added a column most trackers skip: the extra cash SCHD itself collects each quarter, calculated from the number of shares Schwab reports holding.
| Rank* | Company | Ticker | Sector | Weight in SCHD | Old → New (Qtr) | Raise | Extra Cash to SCHD / Qtr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas Instruments | $TXN | Information Technology | 4.41% | $1.42 → $1.52 | +7.0% | ~$1.79M |
| 2 | Accenture NEW | $ACN | Information Technology | 2.86% | $1.63 → $1.71 | +4.9% | ~$1.36M |
| 3 | Fifth Third Bancorp | $FITB | Financials | 1.21% | $0.40 → $0.42 | +5.0% | ~$502K |
| 4 | American Financial Group | $AFG | Financials | 0.24% | $0.88 → $0.97 | +10.2% | ~$171K |
| 5 | Bank OZK NEW | $OZK | Financials | 0.12% | $0.48 → $0.49 | +2.1% | ~$28K |
| 6 | City Holding Company | $CHCO | Financials | 0.05% | $0.87 → $1.00 | +14.9% 🏆 | ~$51K |
| 7 | Virtus Investment Partners | $VRTS | Financials | 0.02% | $2.40 → $2.45 | +2.1% | ~$8K |
| 8 | Ennis | $EBF | Industrials | 0.01% | $0.25 → $0.2625 | +5.0% | ~$8K |
| Total, 8 raisers | ~8.92% | ~$3.92M | |||||
*Rank is among the holdings on this tracker, not in the full ~100 stock portfolio. Weights and share counts come from Schwab's official SCHD holdings file dated September 21, 2026, the first file after the September rebalance (see our Q3 2026 rebalance breakdown and full SCHD holdings list). Extra cash = shares held × increase per share, before any changes in SCHD's share count. Holdings change daily, so verify with Schwab before relying on these figures.
Which Raises Actually Move SCHD's Income? Weight × Raise
Multiply each holding's weight by its raise and you get a simple, honest read on how much each announcement lifts SCHD's collected income. Here's the Q4 board:
Two names do almost all of the work. $TXN and $ACN account for roughly 82% of the weighted lift, while the six financials and industrials split the rest. $CHCO's 14.9% raise is the best headline on the board, yet it contributes about a fortieth of what $TXN does. That's the recurring lesson of every SCHD tracker: the exciting percentages usually come from tiny positions.
📈 The rebalance made $TXN's raise worth more
When Texas Instruments announced its 7% raise on September 17, it was about a 3.2% position. The September rebalance then lifted it to 4.41%, SCHD's #2 holding behind QUALCOMM ($QCOM). Same raise, about 37% more weight behind it. SCHD now holds roughly 17.9 million $TXN shares, so the extra $0.10 per share works out to about $1.79 million more cash per quarter from one company.
Want to see every SCHD holding's yield, raise history, and total return in one screen? TopDividendETFsPro.com tracks 139 income ETFs with daily yield and total return history, ratings, tax grades, and advanced filters, so you can spot the next raise before the headlines do.
Explore the Pro Platform ⭐Pay Date Calendar: Why All 8 Raises Count for Q4
SCHD's Q4 2026 ex-dividend date is expected on December 10, with payment on December 15 (see our SCHD 2026 dividend dates page). Every raise on this tracker pays its first higher dividend well before that, so all eight should land in the cash SCHD collects for its Q4 distribution.
| Ticker | Announced | Record Date | First Higher Payment | Counts For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $AFG | Aug 20 | Oct 15 | Oct 23 | Q4 ✅ |
| $VRTS | Aug 20 | Oct 30 | Nov 13 | Q4 ✅ |
| $TXN | Sep 17 | Oct 30 | Nov 10 | Q4 ✅ |
| $FITB | Sep 17 | Sep 30 | Oct 15 | Q4 ✅ |
| $EBF | Sep 18 | Oct 9 | Nov 6 | Q4 ✅ |
| $CHCO | Sep 30 | Oct 15 | Oct 30 | Q4 ✅ |
| $ACN | Oct 1 | Oct 13 | Nov 13 | Q4 ✅ |
| $OZK | Oct 1 | Oct 13 | Oct 20 | Q4 ✅ |
All dates 2026. SCHD's dates are expected based on Schwab's published schedule and may change. Funds generally distribute net investment income including accrued dividends, but the final amount is Schwab's call.
Q4 2026 Raise Spotlights
🔌 Texas Instruments ($TXN) +7.0%: The Heaviest Raiser, Again
TI will pay $1.52 per share, up from $1.42, for $6.08 annualized. The company calls it its 23rd consecutive year of dividend increases. Record date October 30, payable November 10. We counted the announcement on our Q3 tracker; this is where the money shows up. At ~4.41%, it's the single biggest driver of SCHD's Q4 income growth.
💼 Accenture ($ACN) +4.9%: Raise Plus a Blowout Quarter
Accenture raised its quarterly dividend from $1.63 to $1.71 ($6.84 annualized) with its fiscal Q4 2026 results on October 1. Revenue of $18.7 billion beat guidance, the company returned a record $11.5 billion to shareholders in fiscal 2026, and the stock jumped more than 20% on the day. Record date October 13, payable November 13. At ~2.86% it's SCHD's #16 holding and one of only a handful of Information Technology names in the fund.
🏦 Fifth Third ($FITB) +5.0%: 11th Straight Year
Fifth Third lifted its common dividend 2 cents to $0.42 per share, its 11th consecutive year of higher dividends. Record date September 30, payable October 15. At ~1.21% it's the largest financial on this list and the third biggest driver of SCHD's Q4 lift.
🛡️ American Financial Group ($AFG) +10.2%: 21 Years and Counting
AFG announced a 10.2% increase in its annual dividend rate back in August, taking the quarterly payout to $0.97. It's the insurer's 21st consecutive year of dividend increases. The first higher check is paid October 23 to holders of record October 15.
🏆 City Holding ($CHCO) +14.9%: The Biggest Headline
The West Virginia bank holding company raised its quarterly dividend 13 cents to $1.00, or $4.00 annualized. Management tied the size of the raise to the company's "strong capital and liquidity position." Record date October 15, payable October 30. A great raise for $CHCO shareholders; for SCHD it's a 0.05% position, so it adds about $51K a quarter.
🔁 Bank OZK ($OZK) +2.1%: 65 Quarters in a Row
Bank OZK raised its quarterly dividend 1 cent to $0.49 on October 1. That's its 65th consecutive quarterly increase, more than 16 straight years of raising every single quarter. It also showed up on our Q3 tracker, which is the point: $OZK raises every quarter, so it will likely appear on every tracker we publish. Record date October 13, payable October 20.
🖨️ Ennis ($EBF) +5.0%: First Raise Since 2022
Ennis raised its quarterly dividend from $0.25 to $0.2625 with its fiscal Q2 results on September 18. Worth noting: this is the company's first increase since 2022, so it ends a multi-year flat stretch rather than extending a streak. Record date October 9, payable November 6. It's one of SCHD's smallest positions at about 0.01%.
📊 Virtus Investment Partners ($VRTS) +2.1%: 9th Annual Increase
Virtus raised its quarterly dividend from $2.40 to $2.45, its ninth consecutive annual increase. Announced August 20 (on our Q3 tracker as +2.0%, rounded), with the first higher payment on November 13 to holders of record October 30.
Track raises like these across 139 income ETFs
TopDividendETFsPro.com shows yield and total return movers every day, with ratings, tax grades, and advanced filters to find dividend growers before the crowd.
Q4 2026 Cuts Watch
✅ No Q4 cuts tracked yet
No SCHD holding has announced a dividend cut or suspension for Q4 so far. Last quarter we tracked two: Wendy's ($WEN) cut 50% and Skyworks ($SWKS) suspended its dividend, both covered on the Q3 tracker. If any cuts show up this quarter, they'll be added here, because a tracker that only counts good news isn't a tracker.
What Could This Mean for SCHD's Q4 2026 Payout?
Q4 has a habit of being SCHD's strongest quarter. Last year SCHD paid $0.2782 in Q4 2025, its largest payout of 2025, up from $0.2645 in Q4 2024 (split-adjusted). The most recent payout, $0.2665 in Q3 2026, was up 2.3% year over year and 5.5% over Q2. See the full breakdown in our Q3 2026 dividend announcement post.
Put the tracker in dollar terms and the eight raises add about $3.9 million in extra dividend cash per quarter. Spread across SCHD's billions of shares outstanding, that's on the order of a tenth of a cent per SCHD share, or around 0.4% of a typical quarterly payout. Real money, and it compounds, but it isn't a jackpot on its own. Q4 raise season is just getting started, and many SCHD holdings typically announce their increases in October through December.
🔮 How did our last call do?
Our Q3 model called $0.2740; SCHD paid $0.2665. See the three models we used and the community leaderboard, then come back here as Q4 raises roll in.
See the Q3 2026 Prediction Page →⚠️ Important: Raises Don't Guarantee a Bigger SCHD Dividend
SCHD's payout also depends on share creation and redemption activity, the September rebalance's sector shifts, any dividend cuts still to come, special dividends, and the timing of when holding dividends are collected. Eight raises are a positive signal, not a promise. Always wait for the official declaration from Schwab Asset Management.
SCHD Dividend History: Recent Quarterly Payouts
SCHD has grown its dividend at roughly an 11% compound annual rate since 2012 (split-adjusted for the 3-for-1 split on October 10, 2024). Here are the most recent quarters:
| Year | Quarter | Adjusted Dividend ($) | YoY Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Q3 | $0.2665 | +2.3% |
| 2026 | Q2 | $0.2525 | −3.0% |
| 2026 | Q1 | $0.2569 | +3.3% |
| 2025 | Q4 | $0.2782 | +5.2% |
| 2025 | Q3 | $0.2604 | +3.5% |
| 2025 | Q2 | $0.2602 | −5.3% |
| 2025 | Q1 | $0.2488 | +22.1% |
| 2024 | Q4 | $0.2645 | +6.9% |
| 2024 | Q3 | $0.2515 | +15.3% |
| 2024 | Q2 | $0.2747 | +24.0% |
Want every quarterly payout back to SCHD's inception in October 2011? See the complete SCHD Dividend History & Projections page →
SCHD vs. VYM vs. DGRO vs. JEPI: Which Pays More Long-Term?
Our Pro platform runs side-by-side total return comparisons with daily yield history, NAV decay tracking, and personal watchlists across 139 income ETFs.
SCHD Q4 2026 Dividend Snapshot
Q4 Raises Tracked
Biggest Raise
Biggest Driver
Fund Weight Raising
Longest Streak
Q4 Cuts Tracked
Latest Dividend (Q3 2026)
Q4 2025 Payout
Expense Ratio
The Bigger Picture: Why Dividend Growth Investors Watch These Announcements
SCHD tracks the Dow Jones U.S. Dividend 100, which screens for at least 10 consecutive years of dividend payments, strong free cash flow, high return on equity, and dividend growth. Quarters like this one show that screen at work: Texas Instruments on its 23rd straight annual raise, American Financial Group on its 21st, Fifth Third on its 11th, and Bank OZK raising every single quarter for 16 years.
The tracker also shows the honest limits of headlines. $CHCO's 14.9% is the best number on the board and barely registers in SCHD's income. $EBF's 5% is welcome but comes after a three-year pause. Meanwhile two large-cap tech companies quietly carry most of the weight. If you want to know where SCHD's next payout is heading, follow the weights, not the percentages. You can see every position and weight on our SCHD holdings page, and estimate your own income with the SCHD dividend calculator.