Browse Investing

Dividend Yield Measures

Dividend yield terms for forward yield, gross yield, price-dividend ratios, and income comparisons.

Dividend Yield Measures terms explain how stock distributions are declared, dated, paid, reinvested, taxed, measured, and compared.

Use this branch when a stock term changes dividend entitlement, cash received, reinvestment, payment status, tax character, yield, payout coverage, or dividend policy interpretation.

Key Terms in This Branch

TermUse it for
Dividend YieldDividend income, entitlement, payment timing, reinvestment, tax character, yield, payout, or policy terms.
Forward Dividend YieldDividend income, entitlement, payment timing, reinvestment, tax character, yield, payout, or policy terms.
Gross Dividend YieldDividend income, entitlement, payment timing, reinvestment, tax character, yield, payout, or policy terms.
Price-Dividend RatioDividend income, entitlement, payment timing, reinvestment, tax character, yield, payout, or policy terms.

What to Check

Check declaration date, record date, ex-dividend date, payment date, amount, currency, share class, tax character, payout source, reinvestment election, and whether the dividend is regular, special, or omitted.

Common Mistakes

  • Assuming a dividend announcement proves future dividends will continue.
  • Confusing record date, ex-dividend date, and payment date.
  • Comparing dividend yield without checking payout ratio, price movement, tax character, and coverage.
  • Treating reinvested dividends as free return instead of additional exposure.

This page is educational and does not recommend a specific stock, fund, tax treatment, or account choice.

In this section

Choose a subsection first. Deeper term pages live inside each subsection, which keeps large topic hubs readable.

Dividend Yield

Dividend yield is the annual dividend per share divided by the current share price.

Gross Dividend Yield

Dividend yield measured before taxes, withholding, fees, or other investor-specific deductions.

Price-Dividend Ratio

A stock price divided by annual dividends per share, used as an income-oriented valuation multiple.

Revised on Sunday, June 21, 2026