Meta Platforms (META) Dividend

Complete dividend analysis for the social media giant

META $525.72 -8.2% Mar 27, 2026

Annual Dividend

$2.22
$0.525 quarterly

Dividend Yield

0.42%
Current yield

Payout Ratio

8.94%
Ultra-safe

Shareholder Yield

1.95%
Dividend + buybacks

Market Cap

$1.3T
Nasdaq: META

Dividend History

2 years
Started Feb 2024

Meta Dividend Calculator

Reinvest dividends
Quarterly Income: $52.50
Annual Income: $222.00
5-Year Projection: $318.64
10-Year Projection: $457.23

Complete Meta Dividend History

Meta Platforms began paying dividends in February 2024, making it the last major tech company to start returning cash to shareholders via dividends. The company raised its quarterly dividend from $0.50 to $0.525 in 2025.

Ex-Date Amount Record Date Pay Date Change
Mar 16, 2026 $0.525 Mar 17, 2026 Mar 28, 2026 —
Dec 15, 2025 $0.525 Dec 16, 2025 Dec 30, 2025 —
Sep 22, 2025 $0.525 Sep 23, 2025 Sep 30, 2025 —
Jun 16, 2025 $0.525 Jun 17, 2025 Jun 30, 2025 +5%
Mar 14, 2025 $0.525 Mar 15, 2025 Mar 28, 2025 +5%
Dec 16, 2024 $0.500 Dec 17, 2024 Dec 30, 2024 —
Sep 16, 2024 $0.500 Sep 17, 2024 Sep 30, 2024 —
Jun 14, 2024 $0.500 Jun 15, 2024 Jun 28, 2024 —
Feb 21, 2024 $0.500 Feb 22, 2024 Mar 26, 2024 FIRST EVER

Why Meta Started Paying Dividends

In 2024, Meta Platforms finally joined other tech giants in paying dividends. Here's why the timing was perfect:

  • Massive Cash Generation: Meta generates over $50 billion in annual free cash flow
  • Low Payout Ratio: At only 8.94%, Meta has enormous room for dividend growth
  • Institutional Demand: Large funds prefer dividend-paying stocks for stability
  • Business Maturity: Lower growth capex needs as the metaverse investments stabilize
  • Shareholder Returns: Complement the massive $50B+ annual buyback program
  • Tax Efficiency: Dividends can be more tax-efficient than pure capital gains for some investors

The Apple Comparison

Apple started paying dividends in 2012 at 0.4% yield. Twelve years later, Apple now pays over $1.00 per share annually. If Meta follows a similar trajectory, today's 0.42% yield could grow substantially.

Meta vs Other Tech Dividends

Company Ticker Yield Payout Ratio Years Paying Growth Rate
Meta Platforms META 0.42% 8.94% 2 years 5.0%
Apple AAPL 0.52% 15.2% 12 years 4.7%
Microsoft MSFT 0.73% 24.8% 22 years 10.9%
Alphabet GOOGL 0.00% — 0 years —
NVIDIA NVDA 0.03% 1.1% 13 years -22.4%

Key Insights

  • Lowest Payout Ratio: Meta's 8.94% payout ratio is the most conservative, suggesting huge growth potential
  • Room to Grow: With Apple at 15.2% and Microsoft at 24.8%, Meta has significant room to increase payouts
  • Google Still Holdout: Alphabet remains the only major tech company without a dividend
  • Nvidia Tiny Yield: NVIDIA's focus remains on growth over shareholder returns

Total Shareholder Returns: Dividends + Buybacks

Dividends tell only part of Meta's shareholder return story. The company also runs one of the largest share buyback programs in corporate America.

Dividend Yield

0.42%

Regular quarterly cash payments

+

Buyback Yield

1.53%

Share repurchases ($30B+ in 2025)

=

Total Shareholder Yield

1.95%

Combined cash returns

Why Buybacks Matter

Share buybacks reduce the total number of shares outstanding, making each remaining share more valuable. Meta bought back over $30 billion worth of stock in 2025, equivalent to a 1.53% yield based on market cap.

The Combined Effect: While Meta's dividend yield looks modest at 0.42%, the total shareholder yield of 1.95% is competitive with many traditional dividend stocks.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does Meta pay a dividend?

Yes, Meta Platforms began paying dividends in February 2024. The company currently pays $0.525 per share quarterly, for an annual dividend of $2.22 per share.

What is Meta's dividend yield?

Meta's dividend yield is 0.42% based on the current stock price of $525.72. While this seems low, Meta also returns cash through massive share buybacks, bringing the total shareholder yield to 1.95%.

When did Meta start paying dividends?

Meta paid its first-ever dividend on February 21, 2024, at $0.50 per share. The company was the last major tech giant to start paying dividends to shareholders.

Is Meta's dividend safe?

Meta's dividend appears very safe with a payout ratio of only 8.94%. The company generates massive free cash flow (over $50B annually) and has plenty of room to grow the dividend significantly.

How much dividend does Meta pay per share?

Meta currently pays $0.525 per share quarterly, which equals $2.22 per share annually. The dividend was raised from $0.50 to $0.525 per quarter in 2025.

When is Meta's next ex-dividend date?

Meta typically announces ex-dividend dates about 6-8 weeks before each quarter end. Based on historical patterns, the next ex-dividend date should be around mid-June 2026 for the Q2 payment.

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