Dividend Yield Calculator
Calculate dividend yield and yield-on-cost from price, payout, and growth.
| Year | Start Balance | Start Shares | Share Price | Dividend / Share | Dividend Yield | Yield on Cost | Annual Dividend | Total Dividends | End Shares | End Balance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $10,000 | 133.33 | $78.75 | $2.63 | 3.33% | 3.22% | $399.54 | $399.54 | 169.66 | $13,361 |
| 2 | $13,361 | 169.66 | $82.69 | $2.81 | 3.40% | 3.57% | $528.70 | $928.24 | 205.86 | $17,022 |
| 3 | $17,022 | 205.86 | $86.82 | $3.01 | 3.46% | 3.92% | $673.74 | $1,602 | 242.03 | $21,013 |
| 4 | $21,013 | 242.03 | $91.16 | $3.22 | 3.53% | 4.27% | $836.61 | $2,439 | 278.29 | $25,370 |
| 5 | $25,370 | 278.29 | $95.72 | $3.44 | 3.59% | 4.63% | $1,019 | $3,458 | 314.78 | $30,131 |
| 6 | $30,131 | 314.78 | $100.51 | $3.68 | 3.66% | 5.02% | $1,225 | $4,683 | 351.61 | $35,339 |
| 7 | $35,339 | 351.61 | $105.53 | $3.94 | 3.73% | 5.43% | $1,456 | $6,139 | 388.91 | $41,043 |
| 8 | $41,043 | 388.91 | $110.81 | $4.22 | 3.80% | 5.87% | $1,715 | $7,854 | 426.82 | $47,296 |
| 9 | $47,296 | 426.82 | $116.35 | $4.51 | 3.88% | 6.35% | $2,006 | $9,860 | 465.48 | $54,158 |
| 10 | $54,158 | 465.48 | $122.17 | $4.83 | 3.95% | 6.87% | $2,334 | $12,194 | 505.02 | $61,697 |
S&P 500 is included only as a total-portfolio-value reference — it isn't the most meaningful benchmark for income-focused strategies. The 10% baseline reflects the index's long-term nominal total return (price + dividends), a reference rather than a forecast.
What this calculator does
A dividend yield calculator turns three inputs — price, payout, and growth — into the yield numbers that actually matter for income investing. Current yield (annual dividend divided by today's price) tells you what the next year of dividends would pay relative to today's investment. Yield on cost rises whenever the company hikes its dividend; over decades, a stock that yielded 3% on the day you bought it can yield 8% or 10% on cost. The yearly projection makes that ramp visible.
How to use it
Enter what you've already invested and the current share price. The starting dividend yield is the most recent annualized payout divided by today's price; ETFs publish this directly. Annual dividend growth is the harder number — historical 5-year or 10-year DGR is a defensible starting point but expect it to slow as a payout matures. Share price growth is set independently because price and dividend rarely grow at the same rate. Leave DRIP on if you're modeling accumulation, off if you're modeling current income.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between yield and yield on cost?
Current yield uses today's price as the denominator and changes daily. Yield on cost uses what you originally paid as the denominator and rises only when the dividend itself rises. New buyers always see the current yield; you keep getting credit for the dividend growth that happened after your purchase, which is why long-term holders of growers see yield-on-cost numbers that look impossibly high.
Why is the table showing a yield different from what I entered?
The yield column shows the dividend per share divided by the end-of-year share price. If you entered share price growth above 0%, the price rises faster than the dividend (unless DGR is higher than share price growth), so the visible yield drifts down even while income rises. That's the same thing that happens in the real market when a stock appreciates faster than its dividend.
Should I use the SEC yield, distribution yield, or 30-day yield?
For long-term projection, the trailing 12-month distribution yield is usually the most stable input — it reflects what the fund actually paid. SEC yield smooths bond-fund yields under a specific formula and matters mainly for fixed-income comparison. For broad dividend ETFs, the difference is usually under 0.3 percentage points.
Looking for a specific ETF or stock?
Browse all 87 tickers — ETFs grouped by strategy, individual stocks grouped by yield.
Browse all tickers →