What are dividends?
What are dividends? Why do you need to know this definition? The MoneySense Glossary is your resource for learning and understanding financial terms.
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Some public companies distribute part of their profits to shareholders. These payouts, which may be cash or more stock, are called dividends. Company boards decide the amount and the frequency of dividends; typically, they’re distributed monthly, quarterly or annually. Some mutual funds and ETFs also offer dividends to investors.
Example: “Jeff’s retirement plan is to build up a portfolio of stocks and live off the dividends.”
Read more on dividends:
- What dividends can tell you about a company’s health during COVID-19
When companies slash or stop dividends, their share price tends to fall hard, as a cut is often a sign of weakness, while income-seeking investors will go elsewhere to find a company that pays out more. - Canada’s best dividend stocks
We’ve graded the largest, most liquid Canadian dividend stocks based on Yield, Stability and Value. To earn top marks, each company must demonstrate its ability to provide a steady flow of income to investors, at a reasonable price. - Top 100 dividend stocks
Use this ranking as a tool to help you identify the companies that offer the best investment potential now, based on yield, stability and value. - The pros and cons of dividend investing
Sure, dividend income can be valuable at certain stages of life. Just don’t romanticize it—or make it your everything. - How to use income ETFs for retirement income
Are income ETFs the right choice for retirees? And should you place them in a life income fund that has minimum withdrawals? - Hedging against inflation with dividend-paying stocks
Dividend stocks can keep your portfolio moving in the right direction—even during periods of market volatility.
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