Experian (LSE:EXPN) rarely features on lists of the highest-yielding FTSE 100 shares, but its Dividend record deserves attention from investors who care about growth in income. With two decades of uninterrupted payments behind it, the question is whether the Credit data group can continue to compound that income from its current base.

A modest Yield with a rising trend

A data snapshot from 7 October 2026 shows Experian's annual dividend at 51.8p a share, with the latest payment at 35.9p. The trailing 12-month yield is 2.1%, and the indicated yield is also 2.1%. That is not a level that will satisfy someone seeking high immediate income, and it would take many years of increases for an investor buying at those yields to reach the levels available elsewhere in the index.

Year-on-year dividend growth, however, comes in at 9.5%. A rate close to 10% is what sets Experian apart, because income growing at that pace would double in around seven to eight years if it were maintained, although there is no guarantee that it will be. Investors should also note that the sterling figures carry a currency element, since Experian reports in US dollars. Movements in the Exchange Rate can affect what UK shareholders receive, independently of how the Business performs.

Cover is comfortable

The trailing Payout Ratio of 42.2% indicates that Experian distributed a little over two-fifths of its earnings, which means the dividend was covered about 2.4 times. That leaves a sizeable share of profit available for Investment in the business, acquisitions or other forms of Capital return. It also provides a buffer if Earnings were to soften, and it suggests that the rate of dividend growth is not being achieved by stretching the balance between payouts and profits.

For a data business, this retained capital matters. Experian's competitive position depends on continued spending on data Assets and technology, so a dividend policy that leaves room for that investment is more credible than one that distributes nearly everything.

The record has two parts. Experian has paid dividends continuously for 20 years, a long and valuable history of reliability. Its current run of consecutive increases, on the other hand, is five years. The gap between the two shows that there have been years in which the payout did not rise, even though it continued to be paid.

That distinction is useful for anyone reading company Marketing or screening for dividend growth. A long payment record is evidence of resilience, whereas the growth streak is a measure of recent momentum, and the shorter figure is the better guide to how recently the dividend last failed to grow.

Where the news stands

The most recent company statements are Experian's results for the year to 31 March 2026, which the group described as a solid strategic and financial performance, and a first-quarter trading update for the current financial year. The figures above should therefore be treated as a snapshot rather than a reflection of any later declaration.

What to watch

The next meaningful data points will be Experian's (LSE:EXPN) half-year results and any Interim Dividend that accompanies them. Investors will want to see whether the near-10% rate of dividend growth is maintained, whether cover stays around its present level and whether currency movements help or hinder the sterling value of the payment. Those details will show whether the five-year growth streak has room to run, and whether the yield remains modest because of share price strength or simply because of the group's cautious payout policy.