subject: What You Should Look for When Buying High Dividend Stocks [print this page] What You Should Look for When Buying High Dividend Stocks
To calculate the dividend yield (DY) on a stock, which is also known as the dividend-price ratio, divide the dividend per share by the price per share. Note that you will be much better off if you rely on the information gathered from reliable sources instead of going by some arbitrary estimation of the DY. As a rule, a high dividend yield indicates that the related company is having difficulty, or their stock is under-priced at that time.
A company's profits can be distributed to the shareholders (known as a "dividend") or reinvested in the operation (known as "retained earnings"), and this may result in a dividend yield of 0. A business that is well established will probably have a higher DY, while one that is growth-oriented usually has a lower DY. Before you invest, you might want to compare the dividend yield of a business to the average dividend in the related industry. Also, even though a mature company may distribute most of its profits as dividends, it still needs a certain amount of liquidity to fund regular business activity and provide for unexpected contingencies as well.
Here are some steps you can take before you invest in the stock market:
Begin by going to reputable websites on the internet, use the stock-screeners they provide for dividends, and decide which one seems to be the most user-friendly. If you find that a site requires you to pay for the service, move on because there are many others you can use that are totally free.
In your search, focus on the dividend payment schedule and the related earnings. For example, if you own 10 shares of an energy stock at $20.00, you have invested $200.00. If your dividend per quarter is $7.50, your yearly dividend will equal $30.00, and you can extrapolate this principle to larger numbers of shares.
You may also decide to work with an online broker instead of purchasing your stock directly from a business. Many investors prefer doing this because brokers provide up-to-the-minute data on stock dividends, while a financial website may be 20 minutes behind what we call "real time." However, a broker will also charge a fee whenever you buy or sell stock.
Here are some general recommendations to remember when you are looking for a high-dividend yield:
Instead of relying on some "hot tip" or current trend in the market, always do the necessary research before you invest in any stock.
Buy when stock prices are low, and sell when they are high. (This is fundamental.)
Note that federal tax will be due when you profit from your investment.
Never buy stock if losing your investment would cause financial hardship for you and your family.
Remember that if a company has a history of paying increasing or steady dividends on its shares, that may be reassuring to the typical investor, but you should proceed with caution when dealing with any business that has to borrow in order to finance those dividend payments.
For more information on stocks, visithttp://stockadvice101.com.
