Best dividend with rising stock prices how to calculate rate of return on stock with dividend

How to Calculate Total Stock Returns

Top Dividend ETFs. It also announces the last date when shares can be purchased to receive the dividend, called the ex-dividend date. Now we'll go through the process of calculating total returns. The formula for dividend yield is as follows:. Dividend Tracking Tools. A monthly dividend could result in a dividend yield calculation that is too low. Stock Advisor launched in February of The required rate of return is determined by an individual investor or analyst based on a chosen investment strategy. Total return can be highly useful when assessing the performance of your investments, and comparing their performance to each other, or to the overall stock market. Aside from its complexity, the biggest difference between IRR and total return is that IRR is a forward- looking metric, forex robot free trial which has higher returns forex or stocks things like projected dividends or distributions, future profitability, and. Dividend Data. Getting Started. Heartland Advisors. Skip to main content. Basic Materials. Remember that it's extremely unlikely any company will truly continue to pay steadily rising dividends forever, so it should only be used in conjunction with other ways of evaluating the company and only for considering stable businesses. Stocks Dividend Stocks. If you are reaching retirement age, there is a good chance that you You can find out how much a fund charges by looking up its expense ratio. The first step is knowing how to calculate dividend yield, then, you must familiarize yourself with the pitfalls of those calculations. You can use a mathematical formula called the constant growth model, or Gordon Growth Modelto make nifty futures trading strategies pdf positional trading kya hai calculation or find a stock valuation calculator tool online or in a smart phone app to do the computation for you. Related Articles.

Dividends can be cut and yields can change rapidly

About Us. University and College. You can learn more about the standards we follow in producing accurate, unbiased content in our editorial policy. Total return can be highly useful when assessing the performance of your investments, and comparing their performance to each other, or to the overall stock market. An unrealized capital gain refers to a stock or other investment that has gone up in value since you bought it, but that you still own. Best Accounts. How to Retire. The required rate of return is the minimum return on their investment that investors will accept to own the stock. Expected total return is the same calculation as total return but using future assumptions instead of actual investment results. Dividend Tracking Tools. Your Money. Finally, some companies manipulate their growth costs, at least temporarily, to lure investors. Dividend Data. Investopedia is part of the Dotdash publishing family.

In practice, you will also want to consider other factors, such as the price of other comparable stocks, possible returns from other investments entirely and factors that might cause the stock's dividend to deviate from that steady growth schedule. Dividends also serve as an announcement of the company's success. At the center of everything we do is a strong commitment to independent research and sharing its profitable discoveries with investors. The Ascent. To truly appreciate the joy of Compounding Returns, calculate your returns over at least a year period. In general, the increase is about equal to the amount of the dividend, but the actual price change is based on market activity and not determined by any governing entity. My Watchlist. This date is generally day trading multiple timeframes 200 payout binary options business days before the date of record, which is the date when the company reviews its list of shareholders. Sometimes a high dividend yield is the result of a stock's price tanking. Etf trading firms interactive brokers portfolio allocation Insurance and Annuities. If a company's stock experiences enough of a decline, it's possible that they may reduce the amount of their dividend, or eliminate it altogether. The first step is knowing how to calculate dividend yield, then, you must familiarize yourself with the pitfalls of those calculations. While the higher tax liability on dividends from ordinary companies lowers the effective yield the investor has earned, even when adjusted for taxes, REITs, MLPs, and BDCs still pay dividends the trading profit twitter jeff tompkins day trading viper youtube a higher-than-average yield. Investors who buy stock in these kinds of companies are anticipating an increase in stock price, rather than steady income from dividends. Because shares prices represent future cash flows, future dividend streams are incorporated into the share price, and discounted dividend models can help analyze a stock's value. Total return is a great metric to add to your investment knowledge. Why Zacks?

How Dividends Affect Stock Prices

A good way to determine if a company's payout ratio is a reasonable one is to compare the ratio to that of similar companies in the same industry. As more investors buy in to take advantage of this benefit of stock ownership, the stock price naturally increases, thereby reinforcing the belief that the stock is strong. The rate of growth of dividend payments requires historical information about the company that can easily be found on any number of stock information websites. Not all the tools of fundamental analysis work for every investor on every stock. Dividend Stocks. The Ascent. A basic investment goal is to maximize the amount of return produced by investments relative to the total risk. In simplified theory, a company invests its assets to derive future returns, reinvests the necessary portion of those future returns to maintain and grow the firm, and transfers the balance of those returns to shareholders in the form of dividends. This is a popular valuation method used by fundamental investors and value investors. Internal rate interactive brokers sierra charts brokerage account vs cash account returnor IRR, is similar in concept to total return, but it involves a more complicated calculation. When deciding how to calculate the dividend yield, an investor should benzinga robinhood via tech stock at the history of dividend payments to decide which method will give the most accurate results. Compare Accounts. Forward Dividend Yield Definition A forward dividend yield is estimates next year's dividend expressed as a percentage of the current stock price. We like. By using Investopedia, you accept. Alternatively, investors can also add the last four quarters of dividends, which captures the trailing 12 months of dividend data.

Assuming the dividend is not raised or lowered, the yield will rise when the price of the stock falls. And conversely, it will fall when the price of the stock rises. Alternatively, knowing your total return on an annualized basis could help compare the results of that investment with others you own, or with the stock market as a whole. Concerning overall investment returns, it is important to note that increases in share price reduce the dividend yield ratio even though the overall investment return from owning the stock may have improved substantially. Bond yields are calculated similarly to dividend yields, but it's important to remember that stocks and bonds are different products. For example, General Electric Company's GE manufacturing and energy divisions began underperforming from through , and the stock's price fell as earnings declined. Background influences such as an ailing economy can be an influence as well. The yield is presented as a percentage, not as an actual dollar amount. Bureau of Economic Analysis. The Dividend Discount Model. How to Retire. Practice Management Channel. Stock Market. Dividend Tracking Tools. Dividend Yield vs.

Dividends and Stock Price

Some investments are designed to produce a great deal of capital appreciation, while others are intended to produce income. It also announces the last date when shares can be purchased to receive the dividend, called the ex-dividend date. In some cases, the dividend yield may not provide that much information about what kind of dividend the company pays. Even some onetime blue chip companies can see bumps in the road that affect their ability to pay steady dividends. Annualized total return is a form of a compound return. Learn to Be a Better Investor. First, your overall total return. A certified financial planner, she is the author of "Control Your Retirement Destiny. Bond yields are calculated similarly to dividend yields, but it's important to remember that stocks and bonds are different products. DPS can be calculated by subtracting the special dividends from the sum of all dividends over one year and dividing this figure by the outstanding shares. Best Accounts. Example of Dividend Yield. Investor Resources.

Dividend Financial Education. These types of companies are required by law to distribute a financial services rep td ameritrade best stock brokerage 2020 significant percentage of their earnings to shareholders, resulting in higher dividend yields. Forward Dividend Yield Definition A forward dividend yield is estimates next year's dividend expressed as a percentage of the current stock price. Internal rate of returnor IRR, is similar in concept to total return, but it involves a more complicated calculation. Dividend Tracking Tools. Investopedia is part of the Dotdash publishing family. Find out just how much your money can grow by plugging values into our Compounding Returns Calculator. Of course, the trade-off is that you'll compensate the fund managers who make these decisions for you. Related Terms Dividend Definition A dividend is a distribution of a portion of a company's earnings, decided by the board of directors, to a class of its shareholders. Stocks Evaluating Stocks. Unpaid Dividend Definition An unpaid dividend is a dividend that is due to be paid how do i remove bitcoin from coinbase accidentally sent to gambling site from coinbase shareholders but has not yet been distributed. If a company announces a higher-than-normal dividend, public sentiment tends to soar. Companies in the utility and consumer staple industries often having higher dividend yields.

Dividend Yield

At a lower price it will should i invest in indian stock market ishares msci world index etf morningstar a bargain since they'll get a higher rate than required, meaning other investors will bid up the price. While high dividend yields are attractive, it's possible they may be at the expense of the potential growth of the company. As I've mentioned, total return is a good way to compare the performance of various investments over time. This gives you a total return of However, because a stock dividend increases the number of shares outstanding while the value of the company remains stable, it dilutes the book value per common shareand the stock price is reduced accordingly. Remember that it's extremely unlikely any company will truly continue to pay steadily rising dividends forever, so it should only be used in conjunction with other ways of evaluating the company and only for considering stable businesses. This can be extremely useful for evaluating investment returns among dividend-paying stocks, and for comparing the performance of dividend-paying stocks to those without any dividends or other distributions. Read The Balance's editorial policies. Example of Dividend Yield. If you're a long-term investor, enrolling in a DRIP can help you maximize your total returns, and can make more of a difference than you might think over long periods of time. However, if you're a value investor or looking for dividend income, a couple of measurements are specific to you. Dividends paid out as stock instead of cash can dilute earnings, which also can have a negative impact on share price in the short-term. Full Bio. At first glance, it can be difficult to determine which of these stocks mti trading course start day trading with 100 the best performer over any multiyear period, especially engulfing candle forex 5 sl tp you don't automatically reinvest your dividends and just receive the payments in cash in your brokerage account. Your Money. Industrial Goods. This helps improve your portfolio's diversification while letting professionals handle the hard decisions about which stocks to buy and when to buy. Financial Ratios.

Finally, some companies manipulate their growth costs, at least temporarily, to lure investors. Getting Started. Some firms, especially outside the U. Dividend Financial Education. Many investors make the mistake of just focusing on how much their stocks move up and down, often ignoring the other ways their investments have generated returns in their portfolio -- particularly dividends. Image source: Author. Next Article. My Career. Some investors purchase shares just before the ex-dividend date and then sell them again right after the date of record—a tactic that can result in a tidy profit if it is done correctly. Investor Resources. Introduction to Dividend Investing. If you're a long-term investor, enrolling in a DRIP can help you maximize your total returns, and can make more of a difference than you might think over long periods of time. Investopedia uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. As with cash dividends, smaller stock dividends can easily go unnoticed. Follow him on Twitter to keep up with his latest work! Preferred Stocks. A company that issues a bond must pay the stated amount of interest to its bondholders. SQ , a relatively new mobile payments processor, pays no dividends at all. Dividend Stocks.

Account Options

Total return takes both capital gains and dividends into account, in order to provide a complete picture of how a stock performed over a specified time period. You can find out how much a fund charges by looking up its expense ratio. Knowing how to calculate and apply total return can help you evaluate the overall performance of different stocks, compare different potential investments, and understand the value of dividend reinvestment, just to name a few things. Retired: What Now? Related Articles. Related Terms Dividend Definition A dividend is a distribution of a portion of a company's earnings, decided by the board of directors, to a class of its shareholders. If the dividend payout ratio is excessively high, it may indicate less likelihood a company will be able to sustain such dividend payouts in the future, because the company is using a smaller percentage of earnings to reinvest in company growth. Intro to Dividend Stocks. Planning for Retirement. Popular Courses. A compound return or compound interest means a return that is paid on the principal and any accumulated returns that have already been paid. Assuming all other factors are equivalent, an investor looking to use their portfolio to supplement their income would likely prefer Company A over Company B because it has double the dividend yield. Understanding Dividend Yield. National Accounts? After all, you'll buy new shares at whatever price they're trading for as of the dividend payment date , and you'll end up with more shares than you started with, and then those shares will begin to pay you dividends as well.

In some cases, the dividend yield may not provide that much information about what kind of dividend the company pays. Some don't pay dividends at all, and those that do pay varying amounts. It is expressed as a percentage macd whipsaw full stochastic oscillator afl calculated as:. Some investors purchase shares just before the ex-dividend date and then sell them again right after the date of record—a tactic that can result in a tidy profit if it is done correctly. However, a wise investor would notice that the stock price had recently plummeted, and that's why the yield is so high. Portfolio Management Channel. Save for college. Matt specializes in writing about bank stocks, REITs, and personal finance, but he loves any investment at the right price. He is a former stocks and investing writer for The Balance. Some also return money to investors by buying back stock, essentially swapping money for social trading trading signals multicharts triple moving average stock held by investors. Stock Dividends.

The Constant Growth Model

This type of situation has no quick fix, but other issues might. Tip The constant growth formula is relatively straightforward for estimating a good price for a stock based on future dividends. Compare Accounts. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. Dividend Financial Education. Similarly, many income-focused investors often judge their investments primarily on the dividends they pay, and don't pay enough attention to share-price movements. Most Watched Stocks. Therefore, a stable dividend payout ratio is commonly preferred over an unusually big one. Dividends Per Share. Even without earning any dividends, shareholders have the potential to earn higher returns if the value of their stock increases while they hold it as a result of company growth. Your Practice. First, your overall total return. When you do that, here's how the calculation should look, in percentage form:. Background influences such as an ailing economy can be an influence as well.

Dividend Reinvestment Plans. Because investors know that they will receive a dividend if they purchase the stock before the ex-dividend date, they are willing to pay a premium. Matt specializes in writing about bank stocks, REITs, and personal finance, but he loves any investment at the right price. Total returns can be calculated as a dollar amount, or as a percentage. Many people invest in certain stocks at certain times solely to collect dividend payments. If a company announces that it's lowering its dividend, the stock price will react immediately. Stocks Evaluating Stocks. This amount can be reinvested again into more shares. These include white papers, government data, original reporting, and interviews dollar to pkr forex option portfolio strategies industry experts. This is an important concept in best financial instrument to trade daily charts forexracer professional renko system context of total returns. That said, projections can still be a valuable tool when analyzing opportunities, so using the information you have to calculate expected total return can help you get an idea of the future potential of certain investment opportunities.

The company will look to cut buy bitcoin federal reserve bancor crypto exchange eliminate dividends because it should not be paying out more than it is earning. To use this model, the company must pay a dividend and that dividend must grow at a regular rate over the long-term. What Is Dividend Yield? However, other compounding intervals are possible when computing returns and interest charges in finance. At the center of everything we do is a strong commitment to independent research and sharing its profitable discoveries with investors. Total return combines these two types of investment performance into a single metric. If a company announces that it's lowering its dividend, the stock price will react immediately. A company can decrease, increase, or eliminate all dividend payments at any time. As the economy improves, the stock price might rise as investors hope that the company will covered call options australia day trading buying power thinkorswim again increase its dividend.

This can be extremely useful for evaluating investment returns among dividend-paying stocks, and for comparing the performance of dividend-paying stocks to those without any dividends or other distributions. Dividend Reinvestment Calculator. Some stocks are known for paying a steady dividend over time. Buying stocks with a high dividend yield can provide a good source of income, but if you aren't careful, it can also get you in trouble. Please enter a valid email address. Every dollar a company pays out to its shareholders is money that the company isn't reinvesting in itself to make capital gains. In practice, you will also want to consider other factors, such as the price of other comparable stocks, possible returns from other investments entirely and factors that might cause the stock's dividend to deviate from that steady growth schedule. Now we'll go through the process of calculating total returns. The yield is presented as a percentage, not as an actual dollar amount. The offers that appear in this table are from partnerships from which Investopedia receives compensation. Search on Dividend.

Plus, knowing dalal street penny stocks what does a correction mean in the stock market will help make you a more well-rounded investor. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Top ETFs. Dividends and Stock Price. This is where total return comes in -- it can give you a single number that sums up the performance of each investment. Dividends paid out as stock instead of cash can dilute earnings, which also can have a negative impact on share price in the short-term. Dividend data can be old or based on erroneous information. Dana Anspach wrote about retirement for The Balance. Stock Market. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. DPS can be calculated by subtracting the special dividends from the sum of all dividends over one year and dividing this figure by the outstanding shares. Dividend Investing What is a Div Yield? Dividend Reinvestment Calculator. My Watchlist Performance. That said, some trends can point investors in the right direction. Ultimately, though, there needs to be a way for investors to make money from a stock beyond simply speculative how to see iv rank tradingview options trading system and selling to make those stock prices worthwhile.

Buying stocks with a high dividend yield can provide a good source of income, but if you aren't careful, it can also get you in trouble. Investopedia uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. Total return can also be expressed on an overall basis, or over specified time intervals. This is often used in the context of fixed-income bond investments. Some companies also may shrink or stop paying their dividends when they hit a tough moment in the economy. However, when you're talking about dividend-paying stocks, that doesn't even begin to tell the entire story. Dividend Investing Search on Dividend. Why Zacks? The required rate of return is determined by an individual investor or analyst based on a chosen investment strategy. New Ventures. The Dividend Discount Model. University and College.

Because shares prices represent future cash flows, future dividend streams are incorporated into the share price, and discounted dividend models can help analyze a stock's value. Even if a company has issued dividends in the past, there's no requirement zebra tech stock price today per share best robotics stocks for 2020 they maintain those dividend payments. By using The Balance, you accept. At a lower price it will be a bargain since they'll get a higher rate than required, meaning other investors will bid up the price. Bond yields are calculated similarly to dividend yields, but it's important to remember that stocks and bonds are different products. That last part may sound a bit confusing, especially when it comes to calculating annualized total returns, so let's take a look at a step-by-step real-world example. If a company's stock experiences enough of a decline, it's possible that they may reduce the amount of their dividend, or eliminate it altogether. Please enter a valid email address. Some don't pay dividends at all, and those that do pay varying amounts. Full Bio Follow Linkedin. For example, your bank probably compounds your interest daily or monthly on your savings account, and other intervals like quarterly, weekly, or semiannual compounding robinhood crypto day trading rules strap option strategy example also possible. Stocks Dividend Stocks. If an investor is only concerned with dividend yield, this would seem like a great opportunity. Related Articles. The Balance uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience.

Understanding Dividend Yield. Please enter a valid email address. Ultimately, though, there needs to be a way for investors to make money from a stock beyond simply speculative buying and selling to make those stock prices worthwhile. Because dividends are paid quarterly, many investors will take the last quarterly dividend, multiply it by four, and use the product as the annual dividend for the yield calculation. Stocks that pay consistent dividends are popular among investors. Unpaid Dividend Definition An unpaid dividend is a dividend that is due to be paid to shareholders but has not yet been distributed. Article Reviewed on May 29, Bureau of Economic Analysis. However, those are the yields from ordinary dividends , which are a different than qualified dividends in that the former is taxed as regular income while the latter is taxed as capital gains. While the dividend discount model provides a solid approach for projecting future dividend income, it falls short as an equity valuation tool by failing to include any allowance for capital gains through appreciation in stock price. Updated: Jul 25, at PM. A certified financial planner, she is the author of "Control Your Retirement Destiny. Financial Statements. Obviously, nobody has a crystal ball that can predict stock performance and an investment's past performance doesn't guarantee its future results. The Dividend Discount Model. Strategists Channel. Getting Started. The dividend yield and dividend payout ratio DPR are two valuation ratios investors and analysts use to evaluate companies as investments for dividend income.

What are total returns?

Assuming all other factors are equivalent, an investor looking to use their portfolio to supplement their income would likely prefer Company A over Company B because it has double the dividend yield. Dividend ETFs. Companies that do this are perceived as financially stable, and financially stable companies make for good investments, especially among buy-and-hold investors who are most likely to benefit from dividend payments. There are other ways to do it, such as continuous or monthly compounding, but for the purposes of calculating and comparing investment returns, this method is generally sufficient. Dividends can affect the price of their underlying stock in a variety of ways. Cash Dividend Explained: Characteristics, Accounting, and Comparisons A cash dividend is a distribution paid to stockholders as part of the corporation's current earnings or accumulated profits and guides the investment strategy for many investors. Best Dividend Stocks. Knowing how to calculate and apply total return can help you evaluate the overall performance of different stocks, compare different potential investments, and understand the value of dividend reinvestment, just to name a few things. Follow him on Twitter to keep up with his latest work! Intro to Dividend Stocks. It is expressed as a percentage and calculated as:. Visit performance for information about the performance numbers displayed above. If a company announces that it's lowering its dividend, the stock price will react immediately. Updated: Jul 25, at PM. Consider other factors like the stock's payout ratio , dividend history, and performance before making an investment decision. Ultimately, though, there needs to be a way for investors to make money from a stock beyond simply speculative buying and selling to make those stock prices worthwhile.

This uses the risk-free rate of return and investment volatility in order to take an investment's risk level into account when calculating returns. Ken Little is the author of 15 books on the stock market and investing. This is referred to as a "pass-through" process, and it means that the company doesn't have to pay income taxes on profits that it distributes as dividends. Not all the tools of fundamental analysis work for every investor on every stock. Even if a company has issued dividends in the past, there's no requirement that they maintain those dividend payments. That last part may sound a bit confusing, especially when it comes to calculating annualized total returns, so let's take a look at a step-by-step real-world example. However, those are the yields from ordinary dividendswhich are a different than qualified dividends in that the former is taxed as regular income while the latter etrade switzerland brokerage accounts with atm features taxed as capital gains. In general, the increase is about equal to the amount of the dividend, but the actual price change is based on market activity and not determined by any governing entity. Monthly Dividend Stocks. Dividend Stocks. Dividend Funds. That said, projections can still be a valuable tool when analyzing opportunities, so using the information you have to calculate expected best stocks under 100 dollars high-frequency trading vs day trading return can help you get an idea of the future potential of certain investment opportunities. In theory, you'd want to buy the stock if the price is below that level and sell it if you own it and it's well above that price. Consider our Bank of America example from the previous section. A simple return or simple interest is a rate of return that is based on stock trading scams buying penny stocks to buy on my own principal, or original investment amount, year after year. Historical evidence suggests that a focus on dividends may amplify returns rather commodity trading and risk management software price action stock screener slow them .

Dividend Strategy. The yield is presented as a percentage, not as an actual dollar. After the declaration of a stock dividend, the stock's price often increases. Dividend Stocks. My Watchlist News. At a lower price it will be a bargain since they'll get a higher rate than required, meaning other investors will bid up the price. One of the telling metrics for dividend investors is dividend yieldwhich is a financial ratio that shows how much a company pays out in dividends each year relative to its share price. This is more commonly used when talking about real estate investments, but it can be cryptocurrency exchange airdrop which coin will coinbase add next to stocks as well when trying to project long-term returns from different prospective investments. The dividend yield is an estimate of credit spread option robinhood trading strategies module mock test dividend-only return of a stock investment. Rates are rising, is your portfolio ready? Table of Contents Expand. The total return calculation with reinvested dividends can be simplified by looking at the investment on an overall value as opposed to a per-share basis. Now we'll go through the process of calculating total returns. For example, the average dividend yield in the market is very high amongst real estate investment trusts REITs. New companies that are pattern day trading bitcoin questrade stock transfer small, but still growing quickly, may pay a lower average dividend than mature companies in the same sectors. Investors who buy stock in these kinds of companies are anticipating an increase in stock price, rather than steady income from dividends. What is a Dividend? The dividend yield only tells part of the story.

The most often-used method of calculating total returns is with annual compounding, and that's what the formula I'm about to discuss in the next section will do. Remember that it's extremely unlikely any company will truly continue to pay steadily rising dividends forever, so it should only be used in conjunction with other ways of evaluating the company and only for considering stable businesses. Steven Melendez is an independent journalist with a background in technology and business. Older, well-established companies usually pay out a higher percentage in dividends than younger companies, and older companies' dividend history is also generally more consistent. The constant growth formula is relatively straightforward for estimating a good price for a stock based on future dividends. Many investors make the mistake of just focusing on how much their stocks move up and down, often ignoring the other ways their investments have generated returns in their portfolio -- particularly dividends. Investment Income Safe Investments Glossary. Follow Twitter. Practice Management Channel. Your Practice. Stocks Dividend Stocks. This helps improve your portfolio's diversification while letting professionals handle the hard decisions about which stocks to buy and when to buy them. Tip The constant growth formula is relatively straightforward for estimating a good price for a stock based on future dividends. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Conversely, a drop in share price shows a higher dividend yield but may indicate the company is experiencing problems and lead to a lower total investment return. For example, a business that's doing well presently but it is in a rapidly changing industry might raise concerns. Rates are rising, is your portfolio ready? Lighter Side. Dividend Stocks.

Dividend Stocks Directory. Dana Anspach wrote about retirement for The Balance. Top Dividend ETFs. Fixed Income Channel. However, because a stock dividend increases the number of shares outstanding while the value of the company remains stable, it dilutes the book value per common share , and the stock price is reduced accordingly. Dividends per share DPS measures the total amount of profits a company pays out to its shareholders, generally over a year, on a per-share basis. Dividends paid out as stock instead of cash can dilute earnings, which also can have a negative impact on share price in the short-term. Fool Podcasts. Image source: Author. Advantages of Dividend Yields. Because investors know that they will receive a dividend if they purchase the stock before the ex-dividend date, they are willing to pay a premium. The formula for dividend yield is as follows:. Investopedia is part of the Dotdash publishing family. A good way to determine if a company's payout ratio is a reasonable one is to compare the ratio to that of similar companies in the same industry.