Dividend yield is the percentage a company pays out annually in dividends per dollar you invest. For example, if a company’s dividend yield is 7% and you own $10,000 of its stock, you would see ...

It's not some accounting trick." If a company suddenly stops raising the dividend, the dividend may be unsustainable. AT&T is one of many examples of a company that had shaky dividend growth right ...

Under the equity method, dividends are treated as a return on investment that reduces the value of the investor’s shares. Meanwhile, the cost method of accounting treats dividends as taxable income.

It also may make you ineligible to receive the dividend. But you don’t need to enter a whole number — 7.5 years is acceptable, for example. Enter the stock’s annual dividend yield.