WHY DIVIDENDS ARE IMPORTANT
• Over the long term, the return from dividends has been a significant contributor to the total returns produced by equity securities in markets studied.
• There is an abundance of empirical evidence which suggests that portfolios consisting of higher dividend yielding equity securities can produce returns that are attractive relative to loweryielding portfolios and to overall stock market returns over long measurement periods.
• Stocks with high and apparently sustainable dividend yields that are competitive with high quality bond yields may be more resistant to a decline in price than lower-yielding securities because the stock is in effect “yield supported.” The reinvestment of dividends during stock market declines has also been shown to generally lessen the time necessary to recoup portfolio losses.
• The ability to pay cash dividends is a positive factor in assessing the underlying health of a company and the quality of its earnings. This is particularly pertinent in light of the complexity of corporate accounting and numerous examples of “earnings management,” including occasionally fraudulent
earnings manipulation.
• Dividends remain tax advantaged in the US. Dividends treated as “qualified dividend income” received by individual taxpayers are taxed at the same favorable rates as long-term capital gains (15% Federal Tax Rate for most individuals; 20% for individuals and joint filers with incomes of at least $400,000 and $450,000, respectively. In addition, a 3.8% “Medicare tax” is applied to the net investment income of shareholders in higher tax brackets.) Of course, one can never
predict future tax policy and it is possible that this tax advantage could disappear in the future.
(This should not be considered tax advice. We encourage you to consult your tax advisor.)
• Most importantly, there is an abundance of empirical evidence which suggests that portfolios consisting of high dividend yielding equity securities may produce attractive total returns over long measurement periods.