BEL, SBI Life shares to turn ex-dividend today; payout details, dividend history & more

Shares of Bharat Electronics Ltd and SBI Life Insurance Company Ltd, among others, are set to turn ex-dividend on Friday, March 6. According to stock exchange filings, both heavyweights fixed today as the record date to determine which shareholders are eligible to receive their announced interim dividends.

BEL: In a board meeting held on February 27, the state-run defence major declared an interim dividend of Rs 1.95 per equity share for the financial year 2025-26, with a face value of Rs 1.

Notably, the board initially informed the exchanges that the record date was set for Thursday, March 5, 2026. However, in a regulatory filing dated March 2, BEL announced a revised record date of Friday, March 6. The interim dividend would be paid within 30 days from the date of declaration.

Looking at the company's dividend history, Bharat Electronics paid a final dividend of Rs 0.90 on August 14, 2025, and an interim dividend of Rs 1.50 on March 11, 2025. Before that, the defence major distributed a final dividend of Rs 0.80 on August 14, 2024, and an interim dividend of Rs 0.70 on March 22, 2024.

SBI Life Insurance Company: SBI Life Insurance also joined the ex-dividend club today. In a meeting on February 25, 2026, the life insurer's board approved an interim dividend of Rs 2.70 per equity share, carrying a face value of Rs 10 each for the ongoing 2025-26 financial year.

The company locked in Friday, March 6, as the record date. The interim dividend would be paid out on or before Friday, March 27, 2026.

Tracing its recent payouts, SBI Life Insurance declared an interim dividend of Rs 2.70 on March 7, 2025. Exactly a year prior, the life insurer also distributed an interim dividend of Rs 2.70 on March 15, 2024.

Several other companies also saw their shares trade ex-dividend on Friday, March 6: 

John Cockerill India Ltd announced a final dividend of Rs 7 per share. Engineers India Ltd joined the list and would turn ex-dividend today for an interim dividend of Rs 1.50 per share. Eighty Jewellers Ltd also traded ex-dividend on Friday following the declaration of an interim dividend of Rs 0.10 per share.