The ins and outs of … dividend value

Article Excerpt

As stock prices rise, investors can easily lose sight of the value of dividends. That’s because a yearly 3% or 4% dividend barely seems worth mentioning next to possible yearly capital gains of 10%, 20% or more. But dividends are far more reliable that capital gains. A stock that pays a $1 dividend this year will probably do the same next year. It may even raise the rate to $1.02. Some good companies reinvest profit instead of paying dividends. But fraudulent and failing companies are hardly ever dividend-paying stocks. So if you only buy stocks that pay dividends, you’ll automatically stay out of almost all the market’s worst stocks. For a true measure of stability, focus on those companies that have maintained or raised their dividends during economic or stock-market downturns. Taxpayers who hold Canadian dividend-paying stocks get an added bonus. Their dividends may be eligible for the dividend tax credit in Canada. This means that dividend income will be taxed at a lower…