ITC Shares Rise as Dividend Record Date Falls Today; Shareholders to Receive ₹6.50 Interim Payout

Shares of ITC Ltd traded higher in Wednesday’s session, driven by positive sentiment surrounding the company’s interim dividend announcement, even as today marks the record date, (Feb 4th) implying that investors purchasing the stock today will not be eligible for the payout. The stock was trading at ₹313.00, up ₹2.85 or 0.92%, on the NSE during intraday trade. The buying interest came after the FMCG-to-cigarettes major announced an interim dividend of ₹6.50 per equity share of face value ₹1 each for the financial year ending March 31, 2026.

The company has fixed Wednesday, February 4, 2026, as the record date to determine the eligibility of shareholders entitled to receive the dividend. Investors holding ITC shares in their demat accounts as of today will qualify for the payout. The interim dividend will be paid to eligible shareholders between February 26 and February 28, 2026.

Dividend announcements typically trigger short-term buying interest, especially among income-seeking investors, and ITC’s consistent payout history continues to make the stock a preferred pick among long-term investors. According to exchange data, ITC had earlier paid a final dividend of ₹7.85 per share in May 2025, along with an interim dividend of ₹6.50 per share in February 2025, underlining the company’s strong and steady dividend track record.

For the quarter ended December 31, 2025, the company reported revenue from operations of ₹21,706.64 crore, compared to ₹20,349.96 crore in the corresponding quarter last year, reflecting steady year-on-year growth. Profit for the period stood at ₹5,018.45 crore, marginally higher than ₹5,013.18 crore recorded in the December 2024 quarter, indicating profitability despite varying operating conditions.The drop was driven by rising input costs and a one-time expense linked to India’s new labour codes.ITC incurred a one-off charge of Rs 274 crore related to the implementation of the new labour laws. The reforms, which mark the biggest overhaul of labour regulations in decades, have impacted corporate earnings across sectors.

The company’s total expenses rose 5% to Rs 13,472 crore, partly due to higher prices of key raw materials, including edible oil, wheat and leaf tobacco. Tobacco prices have climbed in recent quarters amid improving export demand, squeezing margins even as cigarette volumes remained stable. Despite the pressure, ITC’s cigarettes business recorded an 8% revenue growth in the quarter, while its FMCG segment—home to brands like Aashirvaad, Sunfeast and Yippee—grew 11%. Overall revenue increased 6% to Rs 19,359 crore. ITC shares had earlier fallen nearly 17% during a nine-session losing streak between January 1 and January 13. Reflecting the weak outlook, Prabhudas Lilladher lowered its target price on ITC to Rs 314 from Rs 348, while retaining its ‘Reduce’ rating.  Avinash Gorakshakar, Director of Research at Profitmart Securities, has maintained a ‘Buy’ rating on ITC (CMP: ₹316.65), saying the stock has been beaten down very badly and that most of the negatives are already priced in. He added that ITC is expected to deliver growth despite regulatory restrictions and can be bought at current levels.