Key Highlights

  • An asset manager declared a $0.38 quarterly Dividend and repurchased $57.4 million of class B shares.
  • A dispensing systems maker raised its quarterly dividend from $0.48 to $0.50.
  • A Utility raised its 2027 annual dividend target to $2.25 per share from $2.14.
  • A consulting firm declared a $0.31 dividend and spent $146.1 million on repurchases over nine months.
  • A self-storage REIT repurchased 2.1 million shares for $83.9 million.

Which companies announced dividends or Buybacks with their third quarter 2026 earnings?

Five companies reported Capital return details with results on October 29, 2026. Federated Hermes (NYSE:FHI) reported EPS of $1.50, declared a $0.38 dividend and repurchased 992,312 class B shares for $57.4 million. AptarGroup (NYSE:ATR) raised its quarterly dividend to $0.50 from $0.48 and repurchased about 234 thousand shares for $30 million. Alliant Energy (NASDAQ:LNT) reported GAAP EPS of $1.52 and set a 2027 annual dividend target of $2.25 per share.

Exponent (NASDAQ:EXPO) declared a $0.31 dividend and reported $146.1 million of repurchases over nine months. CubeSmart (NYSE:CUBE) reported FFO as adjusted of $0.66 per share and repurchased 2.1 million shares for $83.9 million. The reports differ in what they disclose: Alliant Energy's report describes no buyback, and CubeSmart's report describes no dividend declaration.

Federated Hermes: How Much Did It Return Alongside $1.50 EPS?

Federated Hermes reported Net Income of $111.9 million, or $1.50 per share, against $104.1 million and $1.34. The board declared a dividend of $0.38 per share, payable on November 13, 2026 to shareholders of record on November 6, 2026. Chief Executive Officer Christopher Donahue said the company generated positive net Equity sales in the quarter, including across its MDT quantitative suite.

In the quarter the company bought 992,312 class B shares for $57.4 million, about $57.84 per share (calculated). Cash and other investments were $580.3 million at September 30, 2026, against $724.3 million at December 31, 2025. Equity Assets reached a record $110.5 billion, total managed assets were $884.4 billion, and Operating Income rose 18% to $153.3 million.

AptarGroup: How Much Did It Return Through Dividends and Repurchases?

AptarGroup returned $61 million to shareholders in the third quarter and $272 million year to date through repurchases and dividends. The increase from $0.48 to $0.50 is about 4.2% (calculated), and the dividend is payable on December 3, 2026.

Reported EPS was $0.51 after a $58.0 million Russian deconsolidation loss, while adjusted EPS was $1.52. Fourth quarter adjusted EPS is guided to $1.39 to $1.47. Reported sales rose 6% to $1.02 billion, and nine-month adjusted EPS was $4.13, down 10% from $4.60.

Alliant Energy: How Large Is the 2027 Dividend Target?

Alliant Energy raised its 2027 annual dividend target to $2.25 per share from the current $2.14, an increase of about 5.1% (calculated). Each quarterly payment remains subject to board declaration, and the first quarter dividend is expected to be declared in January 2027.

The company issued 2027 ongoing EPS guidance of $3.63 to $3.73 and raised its four-year Capital Expenditure forecast 19% to $15.9 billion, supported by 3.4 gigawatts of contracted Data Center demand. Nine-month GAAP EPS was $3.04, up 17%, and 2026 ongoing EPS guidance was narrowed to $3.41 to $3.46. The company also extended its retail electric Base Rate stability plan through 2030. Its report describes no repurchase program.

Exponent: Do Dividends and Repurchases Exceed Earnings?

Exponent, an engineering and scientific consulting firm, paid $46.1 million in dividends and repurchased $146.1 million of stock over the first three quarters, about $192.2 million combined (calculated). Nine-month net income was $89.9 million, so capital returned was about 2.1 times net income (calculated).

The $0.31 dividend is payable on December 18, 2026. Third quarter net income was $30.9 million, or $0.64 per diluted share, and full-year guidance was raised. Revenues before reimbursements rose 12% to $153.1 million, and the company held $114.7 million of cash and cash equivalents. The board reiterated its intent to keep paying quarterly dividends.

CubeSmart: What Did It Do With Capital Besides Buy Back Shares?

CubeSmart repurchased 2.1 million common shares for $83.9 million and redeemed $300 million of unsecured senior notes. Diluted EPS was $0.42, and FFO as adjusted rose 1.5% to $0.66.

The company also agreed to contribute 15 stores to a joint venture with an affiliate of Heitman Capital Management at an agreed value of $197.0 million, keeping a 20% interest. The company's third-party management platform totals 882 stores. Same-store NOI rose 2.1% across 623 stores, same-store occupancy averaged 90.5%, and the repurchases averaged $39.09 per share.

How Do the Payouts Compare?

All five companies reported on October 29, 2026, but the capital return disclosures cover different periods and different instruments, so the figures below are calculated ratios rather than rankings.

Measured as the quarterly dividend divided by third quarter EPS, Federated Hermes pays about 25.3%, Exponent about 48.4% and AptarGroup about 32.9% of adjusted EPS, or about 98.0% of reported EPS (all calculated, using EPS of $1.50, $0.64, $1.52 and $0.51).

Among dividend increases, Alliant Energy's 5.1% target step (calculated) is larger than AptarGroup's 4.2% (calculated). Federated Hermes' $57.4 million repurchase is about 51.3% of its $111.9 million of quarterly net income (calculated), and CubeSmart's $83.9 million buyback is about 88.9% of its $94.4 million of net income attributable to common shareholders (calculated). Bases differ between quarterly and nine-month disclosures, so these ratios are not directly comparable.

What to Watch Next: Payment Dates and Guidance

Federated Hermes' dividend is payable on November 13, 2026, AptarGroup's on December 3, 2026 and Exponent's on December 18, 2026. Alliant Energy expects to declare its first quarter 2027 dividend in January 2027.

Exponent guided fourth quarter revenues before reimbursements up 8% to 10%, with EBITDA of 26.3% to 26.8% of those revenues. CubeSmart's joint venture has not yet closed, and AptarGroup expects fourth quarter adjusted EPS of $1.39 to $1.47. Federated Hermes reported positive equity net sales of $1.9 billion, and readers will likely follow the pace of net equity sales and Money Market asset trends after the sequential decline to $649.9 billion. Alliant Energy's regulatory outcomes for new generation and storage projects and its data center load additions are the other items its report flags.