This week is gearing up to be a massive one for ASX dividend investors, with more than $18 billion worth of payouts said to be hitting bank accounts.
And the best is yet to come, with some of the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO)'s highest yielding companies set to hand out their upcoming dividends on Thursday.
Let's take a look at the billions of dollars set to be handed out to Aussie dividend fans over the remainder of this week.
The ASX 200 shares paying out nearly $15b of dividends this week
Financial year 2022 was another big one for dividends.
Analysis by CommSec found ASX 200 companies declared more than $42 billion worth of dividends in August.
And ASX shares will hand out $18 billion this week according to Bell Potter's Richard Coppleson, courtesy of the Australian Financial Review.
This week's biggest payer is none other than BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP). The ASX's largest company declared a whopping $2.55 per share dividend, worth more than $12 billion in total.
That's set to hit investors' bank accounts Thursday alongside Rio Tinto Limited (ASX: RIO)'s upcoming $3.847 per share interim payout.
That will see Rio Tinto handing out a total of around $1.4 billion to its Aussie investors.
Of course, the company's investors might still be lamenting the smaller offering. The iron ore favourite slashed its latest payout by 52% year on year.
Looking beyond materials shares, fan favourite Telstra Corporation Ltd (ASX: TLS) is set to drop 8.5 cents of dividends per share tomorrow.
That offering incorporates a 7.5 cent final dividend and a 1 cent special dividend, worth around $980 million.
Telstra's offering was scheduled to be paid out on Thursday but was brought forward after the day was declared a national day of mourning to commemorate Queen Elizabeth II.
Finally, ASX 200 energy giant Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) is also gearing up to hand out its 10.93 cents per share dividend on Thursday. That's worth around $366 million and represents a 38% year-on-year improvement.
Those mark a few of the ASX giants paying out dividends this week. And market watchers might want to hold onto their hats next week too.
Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA), Fortescue Metals Group Limited (ASX: FMG), and Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW) will pay out nearly $8 billion between them then.
