Nasdaq Approves Quarterly Distribution of $0.31 per Share, Payable December 18
Key Facts
Nasdaq’s board of directors approved a regular quarterly cash distribution of $0.31 per common share, according to a company statement issued on October 22, 2026. The statement set December 4 as the record date for eligible shareholders, with payment scheduled for December 18. The decision sets the distribution amount and dates for investors in the final quarter of the year. The previous distribution announced by the company, in July 2026, was $0.31 per share, following a distribution of $0.27 in January. The company said any future quarterly distributions, as well as the setting of record and payment dates, will remain subject to board approval.
The announcement follows Nasdaq’s report of net revenue of $1.5 billion in the third quarter of 2026, up 13% from the same period in 2025, or 14% on an organic basis, according to the company’s results. Solutions revenue rose 17% on a reported basis and 18% organically during the quarter, while annual recurring revenue reached $3.4 billion. That recurring revenue grew 12% on a reported basis and 14% on an organic basis compared with the third quarter of the prior year. The figures show growth in reported and organic revenue across several measures, alongside continued growth in recurring revenue, which reflects revenue tied to the company’s ongoing services.
Diluted GAAP earnings per share were $0.96 in the third quarter, up 31% year over year. Diluted non-GAAP earnings per share were $1.04, an increase of 18% from the third quarter of 2025, according to the results statement. The differing growth rates place the two earnings measures in their accounting context, with the company presenting each separately. The distribution statement did not link the announcement to the quarterly results, while the company disclosed revenue and earnings performance in a separate results announcement. The announced distribution therefore remains a decision separate from the performance figures in the results statement.
The third-quarter results also distinguished between the two channels for returning capital to shareholders. The company returned $173 million through distributions during the quarter and spent $323 million on repurchases of common stock, according to Nasdaq. The figures show that distributions and buybacks are separate channels, each with a disclosed value for the same period. The October announcement sets a new quarterly distribution of $0.31 per share, and the company statement does not provide details on the distribution’s total cost. Any future announcement of a new distribution remains subject to board approval, according to the statement.
Index activity recorded notable growth in the third quarter, with revenue of $286 million, up 39% from the third quarter of 2025. The company said its index-linked products attracted net inflows of $49 billion during the quarter, bringing net inflows over the previous twelve months to $141 billion through quarter-end. This reflects higher index revenue alongside inflows into related products, according to the figures reported by the company. In the broader market, the Nasdaq Composite fell 2.6% to 26,008.86 points in Thursday’s session on October 22, amid weakness in technology stocks and concerns related to the artificial intelligence sector, according to The Associated Press. That came on the day the distribution was announced, but concerns the Composite index and does not report the movement in Nasdaq, Inc. shares.
Under the schedule announced by the company, December 4, 2026, is the record date for shareholders of record at the close of business, with the distribution payable on December 18. The statement does not set a date or amount for a subsequent quarterly distribution. It also says future distribution decisions and record and payment dates require board approval. The announced distribution is therefore the decision set for the current period, while any later announcements remain subject to board decisions.