Intertek's (LSE:ITRK) long Dividend record is now a less important issue for shareholders than the terms of a Takeover by the Investment group EQT. Investors voted in favour of the scheme in August, and the deal has been valued at £10.9bn. For anyone still holding the shares, the income case has largely given way to the cash offer and its timing.

From agreed offer to Shareholder approval

The board backed what was described as a final cash offer of £60 per share, in a deal valued at £10.9bn in reports. Another report put the agreed takeover at £61.08 a share, so investors should rely upon the formal scheme documents for the detail on how those two figures relate. Earlier reports had cited lower overall valuations of between £9.3bn and £9.5bn for the transaction.

Intertek shareholders then approved the scheme at court and general meetings held on 6 August 2026. A summary of that announcement pointed to the scheme becoming effective in the fourth quarter of 2026 or the first quarter of 2027, subject to remaining conditions, and this article found no confirmation that it has yet completed. Intertek would leave the FTSE 100 at that point.

What the dividend data shows

The figures below come from a snapshot dated 7 October 2026, in which Intertek still appeared. The annual dividend was 165.0p per share, and no figure was available for the latest payment. Both the trailing 12-month Yield and the indicated yield were 2.8%. Because the shares have been trading with reference to a cash offer, that yield no longer reflects the normal assessment of a company's income prospects, since the offer rather than the dividend has been setting the share price.

The listed Payout Ratio of 0% is not meaningful. Intertek (LSE:ITRK) has clearly paid a dividend, so a true ratio of zero is impossible, and this figure should be seen as a data quirk. It means that the snapshot cannot be used to measure dividend cover here, and investors would need to consult the group's published accounts for a proper comparison of Earnings and dividends.

A record that may have run its course

Dividend per share grew 5.4% year on year. The company has paid continuously for 24 years and has raised its dividend for three consecutive years. For a testing and inspection business, that is a solid record, founded on steady Demand for quality and safety assurance across global Supply chains. A short growth streak set against a much longer payment record indicates that the dividend has not risen every year, but it has at least been maintained as a regular distribution.

Under private ownership, there would be no public dividend record to maintain, and shareholders who are bought out would need to find somewhere else to invest the proceeds. That reinvestment question could be the most practical issue for income investors. A cash payment replaces a future stream of dividends with a lump sum, and whoever receives it must decide where to find an alternative income in a London market that has been shrinking through takeovers.

The larger lesson concerns what dividend streaks can and cannot do. A 24-year record says something about the reliability of a Business and its board, but it offers no protection against a change of ownership, and a takeover premium can bring such a record to an abrupt end.

What to watch

The key items are the formal scheme timetable, including court sanction, the effective date, the date for cancellation of listing and the despatch of cash. Investors should check the latest regulatory announcements to establish how far these steps have progressed, along with the treatment of any further dividend payable under the terms of the offer. index announcements will confirm any change to the index membership.