Explained: What a dividend yield really is and how to calculate it

Dividend Yield: Do you know what a dividend yield — often talked about and chased aggressively in Dalal Street — really means? Capital appreciation and dividends are two main sources of returns for a shareholder. Not only do dividend-paying stocks interest investors, but they also act as a barometer of a company's health and profitability.

Typically, a high dividend-paying company draws market attention, as investors want to be rewarded for their holdings regularly and generously.

So, what is a dividend exactly?

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A dividend is a type of corporate action that enables a listed company to reward its shareholders. It is an important part of the company's capital allocation strategy. It gives confidence to the shareholders that both the company's earnings as well as profitability are real, and here to stay.

What is a dividend growth rate?

A dividend growth rate or DGR indicates the percentage of the growth rate of a company over a specific period of time, say a year.

Dividend yield formula: How exactly is a dividend yield calculated?

A dividend yield is a ratio of dividend per share to the stock's market price.

DIVIDEND YIELD FORMULA

Dividend yield = annual dividend per share / current market price per share

What does a dividend yield indicate?

A dividend yield — also known in market pralance as the dividend–price ratio — determines the amount of money a company pays out as dividend each year relative to its stock price.

DIVIDEND YIELD EXAMPLES

For instance, if a company, let's say Company A, with its shares valued at Rs 100 per share in the market is paying a dividend of Rs 4 per share, the dividend yield is 4 per cent.

Now, let's take a real life example.

Vedanta dividend yield

Mining major Vedanta has paid a total interim dividend of Rs 81 per share so far in the current financial year.

Vedanta dividend history

(Vedanta has paid out interim dividends four times in the current fiscal year. The first dividend was paid in the month of May 2022, of Rs 31.5, i.e. a 3,130 per cent dividend; the second dividend was paid on July 26, 2022, of Rs 19.5 i.e a 1,950 per cent dividend; the third dividend was paid on November 29, 2022, of Rs 17.5, and the fourth dividend on February 3, 2023, of Rs 12.5. | Image: NSE)

The mining company’s current stock price is Rs 272.6 per share. Therefore, Vedanta’s dividend yield stands at almost 30 per cent. Still confused? Check out the formula explained above in this article and refer to the two examples. ALSO READ: Vedanta to discuss dividend on March 28; record date April 7 Remeber, a dividend yield changes over time since it is based on the current market price and dividend payout changes. Catch latest stock market updates here. For all other news related to business, politics, tech, sports and auto, visit Zeebiz.com.