Dividends are part of the profit a company pays to investors (i.e. shareholders). Dividend-paying stocks can provide a regular income stream as well as the opportunity to earn capital gains.

Dividend-paying companies are typically well-established companies with stable businesses that are able to share a portion of their profits with their shareholders. Conversely, more nascent or smaller companies may prefer to reinvest their earnings to grow their business rather than pay dividends.

The company’s board of directors sets the amount and timing of the dividends. Most often dividends are paid once, twice or four times a year.

Shares of dividend-payers have historically offered more stable performance than the broader market. Companies that are able to pay dividends to their shareholders are usually financially strong businesses with healthy cash flow. This can help make these stocks less susceptible to sharp price changes

As the charts below illustrate, the shares of companies that pay dividends have historically outperformed the index.

Dividend-paying stocks have outperformed over time*

Compound annual total returns (1986 - 2022)

Performance from October 1986 – December 2023. Equal Weighted Equity Only Total Return Indexes. Source: RBC Capital Markets Quantitative Research, RBC GAM. An investment cannot be made directly into an index. The graph does not reflect transaction costs, investment management fees or taxes. If such costs and fees were reflected, returns would be lower. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results.

Additionally, shares of companies that pay dividends have historically shown lower volatility.

Dividend-paying stocks have displayed lower volatility over time*

Annualized volatility (1986 - 2022)

Performance from October 1986 – December 2023. Equal Weighted Equity Only Total Return Indexes. Source: RBC Capital Markets Quantitative Research, RBC GAM. An investment cannot be made directly into an index. The graph does not reflect transaction costs, investment management fees or taxes. If such costs and fees were reflected, returns would be lower. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results.

Standard deviation is a commonly used measure of risk and is applied to the annual rate of return of an investment to measure the investment’s volatility. Standard deviation shows how much the return on an investment is deviating from expected normal returns. A higher standard deviation indicates a greater variability in investment performance.

*Dividend Growers, Payers, Cutters and Non-Payers are determined annually. Growers had a positive 12 month change in dividends paid; Payers paid dividends; Cutters had a negative 12 month change in dividends paid; Non-payers did not pay a dividend.

Dividends play a key role in long-term returns

Investors can take the dividend payments in cash or re-invest them. Reinvestment of dividends allows investors to accumulate shares without paying a commission. Also, investors can gain long-term benefits of the compounding. The chart below shows how reinvesting the dividends can significantly improve the total return of the investment over time.

Dividends have consistently and significantly contributed to total returns, year after year

Growth of $10,000 invested in S&P/TSX Composite Index

Source: Morningstar Direct: January 1977 – December 2022.
Returns including re-invested dividends = S&P/TSX Composite Total Return; Returns excluding re-invested dividends = S&P/TSX Composite Price Appreciation.

An investment cannot be made directly into an index. The graph does not reflect transaction costs, investment management fees or taxes. If such costs and fees were reflected, returns would be lower. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results.

Yes. Dividend yields are often higher than the inflation rate. In times of high inflation, some companies will even raise their dividend payments. But higher than average dividend yields may not always be a positive sign unless the company is in good financial health. Some companies may not be able to sustain the higher dividends and their stock price may become more volatile.

The payment of dividends is not guaranteed. Market conditions and company-specific activities can influence whether dividends will be paid, reduced or increased. In assessing the risks of the dividend-paying stock, due diligence on the company’s financial health and motivation for paying dividends can provide important insight on the level of risk of the stock. For example, if the company is paying a high dividend amount, close analysis can reveal if this is due to increasing profits or stock price weakness (i.e. when stock prices drop, dividend yield goes up and may be less sustainable).

You can invest in individual dividend-paying stocks. Another option is to invest in mutual funds or exchange traded funds. These investments offer the advantages of a diversified portfolio of dividend-paying stocks in one ticket solution. They also provide ongoing professional money management.