Dividend Yield

First, you must know what dividend is and how it works.

The dividend yield, expressed as a percentage, is a financial ratio (dividend/price) that shows how much a company pays out in dividends each year relative to its stock price.

The dividend yield is an estimate of the dividend-only return of a stock investment. Assuming the dividend is not raised or lowered, the yield will rise when the price of the stock falls. And conversely, it will fall when the price of the stock rises. Because dividend yields change relative to the stock price, it can often look unusually high for stocks that are falling in value quickly.

The formula for dividend yield is as follows:

Dividend Yield = Annual Dividends Per Share / Price Per Share

Dividend Yield vs. Dividend Payout Ratio

When comparing measures of corporate dividends, it’s important to note that the dividend yield tells you what the simple rate of return is in the form of cash dividends to shareholders. However, the dividend payout ratio represents how much of a company’s net earnings are paid out as dividends. While the dividend yield is the more commonly used term, many believe the dividend payout ratio is a better indicator of a company’s ability to distribute dividends consistently in the future. The dividend payout ratio is highly connected to a company’s cash flow.

The dividend yield shows how much a company has paid out in dividends over the course of a year. The yield is presented as a percentage, not as an actual dollar amount. This makes it easier to see how much return the shareholder can expect to receive per dollar they have invested.

Example of Dividend Yield

Suppose Company A’s stock is trading at $20 and pays annual dividends of $1 per share to its shareholders. Suppose that Company B’s stock is trading at $40 and also pays an annual dividend of $1 per share.

This means Company A’s dividend yield is 5% ($1 / $20), while Company B’s dividend yield is only 2.5% ($1 / $40). Assuming all other factors are equivalent, an investor looking to use their portfolio to supplement their income would likely prefer Company A over Company B because it has double the dividend yield.

What Does the Dividend Yield Tell You?

The dividend yield is a financial ratio that tells you the percentage of a company’s share price that it pays out in dividends each year. For example, if a company has a $20 share price and pays a dividend of $1 per year, its dividend yield would be 5%. If a company’s dividend yield has been steadily increasing, this could be because they are increasing their dividend, because their share price is declining, or both. Depending on the circumstances, this may be seen as either a positive or a negative sign by investors.

Is a High Dividend Yield Good?

Yield-oriented investors will generally look for companies that offer high dividend yields, but it is important to dig deeper in order to understand the circumstances leading to the high yield. One approach taken by investors is to focus on companies that have a long track record of maintaining or raising their dividends, while also verifying that those companies have the underlying financial strength to continue paying dividends well into the future. To do so, investors can refer to other metrics such as the current ratio and the dividend payout ratio.