Stock Meadow · Metric glossary · Dividends
Dividend per Share: formula and how to read it
Dividend per share is the dollar amount a company paid on each share over the last year. It is the raw income figure behind the yield.
What is Dividend per Share?
Dividends per share over the last year, in dollars. The data provider's figure for dividends paid per share over the last year. A dollar amount can't be compared between stocks at different prices, so it isn't scored; dividend yield does that. Zero for companies that pay no dividend.
Stock Meadow groups it under Dividends, and shows it in tables as Div. per share.
Formula and a worked example
Dividend per share = the dividends paid on one share over the last year (the data provider's figure)
A company paying $0.50 each quarter pays $2.00 per share a year. The numbers are made up for illustration.
How to read it
A dollar amount cannot be compared between stocks at different prices, so Stock Meadow does not score it. Use dividend yield to compare income across stocks.
It can be used as a filter and as a column, but not for scoring: it describes a company rather than making it better or worse.
Common pitfalls
- Comparing dollar dividends between stocks tells you little, because share prices differ.
- Special dividends are included in the annual total.
- Zero for companies that pay no dividend.
How Stock Meadow handles gaps. Usually blank when the dividend isn't reported.
Treat any single metric as one clue, and read the company's financial statements before drawing a conclusion. Stock Meadow's figures are research tools based on reported data, not investment advice.
Stock Meadow models that use it
No scoring model uses it. It is a filter and a table column only.
Read about every scoring model on the scoring models page.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the difference between dividend per share and dividend yield?
- Dividend per share is the dollar payment. Dividend yield divides it by the share price, so it lets you compare income across stocks.
- Can I score stocks on Div. per share?
- It can be used as a filter and as a column, but not for scoring: it describes a company rather than making it better or worse.
- Why is Div. per share blank for some stocks?
- It is usually blank when the dividend isn't reported. Stock Meadow leaves the figure blank rather than guessing it.
Use Div. per share in Stock Meadow
Filter the whole stock list on Last annual dividend and show it as a column. Free during the preview.
Open stock screener