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- Pays: monthly — with ex-dividend dates typically in the first half of the month, plus periodic supplemental dividends.
- Paying since: its 2007 IPO — through the financial crisis and the pandemic without ever cutting the monthly dividend. The BDC world's cleanest record.
- What it is: a business development company lending to (and taking equity stakes in) lower-middle-market American companies — internally managed, famously shareholder-aligned.
- The record: the monthly dividend has more than doubled since IPO, with supplementals sprinkled on top in good years.
- The price of quality: MAIN perpetually trades at a hefty premium to its book value — you pay up for the never-cut streak.
- Coverage (quarter ended June 30, 2026): NII $0.97 per share (distributable NII $1.04) vs $1.08 paid ($0.78 regular + $0.30 supplemental) — 124% of the regular covered (133% on DNII), ~90-96% of the total including the supplemental. Non-accruals 1.1% of the portfolio at fair value (4.0% at cost); PIK and non-cash dividend income ~3.6% of investment income; NAV $33.92, up from $33.46.
MAIN's regular monthly dividend has never been reduced since its 2007 IPO; supplemental dividends come and go with results, which makes yearly totals wobble around a rising base.
MAIN pays monthly, plus occasional supplemental dividends — the taller spikes in the chart below. Every payment since 2007 is charted; the yearly table beneath totals them.
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Each point is one payment; the line ends at the most recent payout. The table below totals them by year.
- Trailing 12 months: $4.32 per share across 16 payments — up 3% from $4.20 in the 12 months before. What a change like that does to your income →
- Current pace: recent payments annualize to $3.18 — 26% below the trailing figure. When those two disagree, the trailing yield is quoting the past. Live cut & raise board →
- Share price, same 12 months: down 17% (dividends excluded) — income and principal are one story. Erosion Index →
- Record: 255 payments over 19 years; the largest single payment was $0.36 (Aug 2008).
- Payment drops ≥20% below trend, last 24 months: none. Get one short email if that changes →
- Payment steadiness: the last 12 checks wobble ±4% around their median. Compare that against any fund →
Every figure above is computed from MAIN's actual payment record and share-price history as of the date shown — not copied from a fact sheet. Recomputed regularly; the chart above always shows the live data.
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| Recent Ex-Dividend Dates | Dividend / Share |
|---|
"Next expected" is estimated from MAIN's recent payment rhythm — the fund announces exact dates shortly before each payout, and the data feed can lag a few days. You must own shares before the ex-dividend date to receive that payout; the cash typically arrives days later. See every fund's upcoming date on the live dividend calendar.
A real total-return estimate, assuming every payout was reinvested — including what happened to the share price. Before taxes and fees. Past performance does not predict the future.
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These are assumptions, not a prediction. Want the full chart and tax options? Open the full calculator →
Every BDC promises durable dividends; Main Street is the one with the receipts. Through 2008-09 — when most of the industry slashed payouts — and again in 2020, MAIN's monthly dividend held, then resumed climbing. The design credits: internal management (no external fee-skimming), equity stakes alongside loans (upside that funds supplementals), and a lower-middle-market niche with less competition.
The market knows all this, which is why MAIN persistently costs 1.5x or more of its book value while peers trade at discounts — you're paying a quality premium that would amplify any stumble. Compare ARCC, the giant that trades near book with a 2009 cut in its history, for the other side of the BDC bargain.
| Year | Total Dividends / Share | Payments | Change vs Prior Year |
|---|
Data source: Yahoo Finance. Figures are per share; the current year may be partial and figures should be verified against official sources.
Calculated from complete calendar years in the data above. Past results don't guarantee future payments.
When Is MAIN's Next Ex-Dividend Date?
MAIN pays monthly — with ex-dividend dates typically in the first half of the month. The exact date of each payout is announced by the fund only shortly beforehand, so no site can promise the next date — but the live schedule box above shows the most recent ex-dividend date and the expected window for the next one, computed from MAIN's actual payment rhythm. Remember: you must own shares before the ex-dividend date to receive that payout.
MAIN's Record: The Streak With Receipts
Main Street Capital has paid monthly since 2007 — over 250 payments — and has never once reduced the regular dividend, roughly doubling it instead while layering supplemental payouts on good years. The chart above shows both layers: the steady monthly staircase and the periodic spikes.
Why This BDC Held When Others Folded
Main Street lends to smaller companies than ARCC targets — the $10-100 million businesses too small for institutional credit — and takes equity stakes alongside its loans, so it participates when borrowers thrive. Internal management keeps costs among the industry's lowest and incentives aligned. In crises, that structure gave it room to protect the payout while externally-managed peers protected their fee streams instead.
Where MAIN Fits
As the quality end of the BDC aisle: a ~6% base yield (more with supplementals) from the sector's most trusted operator, bought at a premium that assumes continued excellence. Value-minded income investors often pair it with ARCC — one bought for the record, one for the price. Next expected date on the live calendar.
How to Choose Dividend Stocks
Streaks, coverage, and what a premium valuation really buys — the plain-English framework.
Read: How to Choose Dividend Stocks