London, May 14, 2026, 15:27 BST
GSK plc shares in London went ex-dividend on Thursday, locking in eligibility for the first-quarter payout just as the company aims to steer focus toward its pipeline. Investors buying on or after May 14 miss out on this round of dividends; GSK’s calendar puts the ex-dividend date on May 14, with the record date following on May 15 and the payment set for July 9.
The timing here is key. GSK wants investors to weigh both reliable capital returns and its specialty medicines push at the same time. The group announced a 17 pence dividend for the first quarter, stuck to its projection for 70 pence in 2026, and reiterated expectations: 3% to 5% turnover growth and 7% to 9% core EPS growth that year. Chief Executive Luke Miels called it “a strong start” and said GSK remains focused on “accelerating R&D.” GSK
Another return of capital is underway. According to a U.S. filing, GSK kicked off the fifth and final part of its £2 billion buyback program on May 11, targeting up to £180 million in share purchases through June 26. So far, GSK has repurchased 114.4 million ordinary shares, totaling roughly £1.82 billion.
Shares slipped 0.48% to 1,877 pence as of 3:21 p.m. in London, according to Google Finance. The listed dividend yield stood at 3.57%, and the ex-dividend date appeared as May 14.
Bepirovirsen remains the bigger variable here for GSK. The company announced this week an exclusive pact with Sino Biopharmaceutical’s Chia Tai Tianqing Pharmaceutical to co-develop the experimental chronic hepatitis B drug in mainland China. The treatment is in priority review there, a market with roughly 75 million people living with chronic hepatitis B.
CTTQ takes care of importing, distributing, securing hospital access, and promoting the drug in China under the agreement. GSK, however, remains the marketing authorisation holder and records sales of bepirovirsen supplied to CTTQ. “Reach more patients” and tackle one of China’s “pressing healthcare priorities,” is how GSK president international Mike Crichton put the goal.
Major drug companies have been ramping up alliances with Chinese firms, and this latest China move fits that trend. On May 12, Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals announced collaboration and licensing agreements with Bristol Myers Squibb, potentially worth as much as $15.2 billion in milestone payments. According to Reuters, Hengrui previously inked licensing deals with Merck and GSK as well.
The risk here is clear enough: bepirovirsen still lacks approval anywhere globally, and a priority review doesn’t mean a green light. GSK noted the U.S. FDA has put Oct. 26, 2026 down as the PDUFA goal date for its application in adults with chronic hepatitis B.
If GSK ends up with a rejection, a scaled-back label, or sluggish rollout, the strain stays on its core businesses and buyback plans. The dividend is already in plain sight, but investors are still waiting for the pipeline to truly deliver.
Thursday’s ex-dividend date draws a clear line for income-focused investors. The tougher challenge lies ahead. GSK still has to show it can push bepirovirsen—and the rest of its specialty medicines portfolio—far enough to back up that ambitious £40 billion-plus sales target for 2031.
