Fundamental analysis · Intermediate

Dividend Yield and Payout Ratio

A 1-minute lesson from the MarketPro academy, one of 24 in fundamental analysis.

Last reviewed by the MarketPro research desk · Editorial policy

Short answer

Dividend yield and payout ratio are two figures commonly used to evaluate how a company returns cash to shareholders, and together they help assess whether a dividend looks sustainable. Dividend yield divides the annual dividend per share by the current share price, expressing the payout as a percentage return relative to the stock's price.

Dividend yield and payout ratio are two figures commonly used to evaluate how a company returns cash to shareholders, and together they help assess whether a dividend looks sustainable.

Dividend yield divides the annual dividend per share by the current share price, expressing the payout as a percentage return relative to the stock's price. A falling share price can mechanically push yield higher even if the dividend itself hasn't changed, so a high yield is not automatically a sign of good value — it can also reflect a market pricing in risk to future earnings or the dividend itself.

Finish this lesson in the MarketPro app

2 more sections of Dividend Yield and Payout Ratio, plus all 320 lessons, the quizzes that check each one landed, and the streak that keeps you coming back. All of it is free on any account, including a free one. There is no paywall inside the academy.

Scan with your phone camera to install MarketPro and open this lesson.

Free account, no card. The academy has no paywall inside the app.

Not investment advice. Past performance is not indicative of future results.

Run the numbers while this is fresh

The arithmetic in this category has a free calculator on this site, no sign-up and nothing leaves your browser: Position size calculator.

Written and reviewed by the MarketPro research desk

MarketPro is a trading-signal and trading-education app operated by Harajuku Holdings LTD (Cyprus). Our signal desk publishes and tracks every trade idea in-app, and every page here is checked against the app's live behaviour before publishing. Last reviewed . How we produce signals and content · About MarketPro

Trade · Learn · Earn

The whole academy is free in the app

All 320 lessons, 12 guided paths, quizzes and a daily streak. Free on every account, with vetted free signals alongside it.

Not investment advice. Past performance is not indicative of future results.