Dividend Per Share (DPS) (2024)

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Step-by-Step Guide to Understanding Dividend Per Share (DPS)

Last Updated December 6, 2023

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The Dividend Per Share (DPS) is a financial ratio that represents the annualized dividend issued by a company, expressed on a per-share basis.

Dividend Per Share (DPS) (1)

Table of Contents

  • How to Calculate Dividend Per Share (DPS)?
  • Dividend Per Share Formula (DPS)
  • What is a Good DPS Ratio?
  • Dividend Per Share Calculator (DPS)
  • Dividend Per Share Calculation Example (DPS)

The dividend per share (DPS) is a financial metric that measures the annual dividend issuance of a company on a per-share basis.

In corporate finance, dividends are defined as the distribution of a company’s after-tax earnings (i.e. net income) to common and preferred shareholders as a form of shareholder compensation.

With that said, a common metric used to assess the dividend policy of a company on a per-share basis is the dividend per share (DPS) ratio, which is a standardized metric that facilitates comparisons in dividend policies among different companies.

Unlike the gross dividend amount figure, the dividend per share (DPS) of a company can also be compared to that of historical periods to observe year-over-year (YoY) trends.

The dividend per share (DPS) formula divides the dividend issuance amount by the total number of shares outstanding.

Dividend Per Share (DPS) = Annualized Dividend ÷ Number of Shares Outstanding

The dividend issuance amount is typically expressed on an annual basis, meaning that a quarterly dividend amount is multiplied by four (i.e. four quarters in one fiscal year) – assuming that the quarterly dividend amount is to remain unchanged.

Annualized Dividend = Quarterly Dividend Amount × 4

The total number of shares outstanding should include the impact of dilutive securities, as well as be calculated based on the annual weighted average share count between the beginning and end of period shares outstanding.

Weighted Average of Shares Outstanding = (Beginning Shares Outstanding + Ending Shares Outstanding) ÷ 2

If the dividend per share (DPS) of a company increases, the reaction of the market tends to be positive, especially if a long-term dividend program rather than a one-time issuance.

The share price of the underlying issuer often rises post-announcement, albeit certain investor groups will sell their stake in the company because of a misalignment in interests.

Why? The decision to issue dividends stems from management’s confidence in the company’s future profitability and maintenance of its current market positioning.

But at the same time, the decision to distribute shareholder dividends can also be interpreted as meaning that the company’s opportunities to reinvest in itself and drive growth are limited.

On the other hand, the decision to reduce the dividend per share (DPS) is a negative market signal, indicative of uncertainty around the future stability of the company’s future profitability.

However, the context surrounding the issuance of a high dividend per share (DPS) must be considered.

For instance, the management team might have mistakenly announced an unsustainable dividend program prematurely, which it refuses to reduce (or end) to avoid sending a negative signal to the market. In fact, the decision by a corporation to issue dividends could cause the share price to decline in certain instances.

For example, if a company with an inflated share price from its positive growth prospects were to suddenly issue dividends rather than reinvest capital (or participate in a stock buyback), the existing investor base could start to sell off their positions.

Conversely, a company could perhaps engage in dividend issuances and stock buybacks while growing at a stable rate, as in the case of Apple (AAPL).

Apple Dividend Per Share (DPS) Example (Source: Barrons)

We’ll now move to a modeling exercise, which you can access by filling out the form below.

Suppose a company issued a quarterly dividend of $50 million, with no announcements regarding cutting the dividend in the near term.

The annualized dividend amount is calculated to be $200 million.

  • Annual Dividend Amount = $50 million x 4 = $200 million

Next, if the company is projected to have 90 million shares at the beginning of the period and 110 million shares outstanding at the end of the period, the weighted average share count is 100 million.

  • Weighted Average Shares Outstanding = (90 million + 110 million) ÷ 2 = 100 million

Given those two inputs, if we divide the annualized dividend by the weighted average share count, we calculate $2.00 as the DPS.

  • Dividend Per Share (DPS) = $200 million ÷ 100 million = $2.00

Dividend Per Share (DPS) (7)

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Dividend Per Share (DPS) (2024)

FAQs

What is the dividend per share of DPS? ›

The dividend per share (DPS) is a financial metric that measures the annual dividend issuance of a company on a per-share basis. In corporate finance, dividends are defined as the distribution of a company's after-tax earnings (i.e. net income) to common and preferred shareholders as a form of shareholder compensation.

How much dividend do I get per share? ›

The dividend per share would simply be the total dividend divided by the shares outstanding. In this case, it is $500,000 / 1,000,000 = $0.50 dividend per share.

Is DPS same as dividend yield? ›

Using DPS. Dividends per share is often used to estimate a stock's dividend yield, calculated as DPS divided by the stock price. The higher the dividend yield, the more profits a company pays out to shareholders on a relative basis.

How do you calculate dividend yield from DPS? ›

The dividend yield is calculated by dividing the annual dividend per share (DPS) by the current market share price and expressed as a percentage.

What is a good dividend per share? ›

What Is a Good Dividend Yield? Yields from 2% to 6% are generally considered to be a good dividend yield, but there are plenty of factors to consider when deciding if a stock's yield makes it a good investment. Your own investment goals should also play a big role in deciding what a good dividend yield is for you.

How much dividend will I get for one share? ›

The formula used to calculate the Dividend Yield is: Dividend Yield = (Annual Dividend Payment / Current Market Price of the Stock) * 100.

How much stock to make $1,000 a month in dividends? ›

In a market that generates a 2% annual yield, you would need to invest $600,000 up front in order to reliably generate $12,000 per year (or $1,000 per month) in dividend payments.

How much dividends will I get from 100K? ›

How Much Can You Make in Dividends with $100K?
Portfolio Dividend YieldDividend Payments With $100K
2%$2,000
3%$3,000
4%$4,000
5%$5,000
6 more rows
7 days ago

How do I calculate my dividend payout? ›

To calculate the dividend payout ratio, the formula divides the dividend amount distributed in the period by the net income in the same period. For example, if a company issued $20 million in dividends in the current period with $100 million in net income, the payout ratio would be 20%.

What does DPS mean dividends? ›

Dividend per share (DPS) is the sum of declared dividends issued by a company for every ordinary share outstanding. DPS is calculated by dividing the total dividends paid out by a business, including interim dividends, over a period of time, usually a year, by the number of outstanding ordinary shares issued.

How do you calculate DPS? ›

The formula for calculating DPS is dividing the total amount of dividends paid by the company to its shareholders by the total number of outstanding shares.

What is the DPS ratio? ›

Dividend per share (DPS) refers to the portion of earnings allocated to shareholders. The board makes the decision based on the EPS. It is computed by dividing the total dividend by the number of outstanding shares.

What is the difference between DPS and dividend yield? ›

DPS is useful for estimating how much money each individual shareholder will receive in dividends over a given period, while dividend yield helps compare different securities as it tells you how much of a return you can expect from each dollar invested.

How much dividend will I get from my shares? ›

Dividing the stock's annual dividend amount by its current share price allows you to calculate a stock's dividend yield. For example, if a stock is trading at $50 per share, and the company pays a quarterly dividend of 20 cents per share. That company's dividend would be 80 cents.

How much is a 4% dividend yield? ›

For example, suppose an investor buys $10,000 worth of a stock with a dividend yield of 4% at a rate of a $100 share price. This investor owns 100 shares that all pay a dividend of $4 per share (100 x $4 = $400 total).

What is the dividend per share rate? ›

The dividend per share is calculated using a simple method. To calculate DPS, divide the entire number of dividends paid by the company by the total number of shares held. The annualised dividend is the total amount of dividends given out during the year.

What is per share dividend amount? ›

Dividend per share (DPS) is the sum of declared dividends issued by a company for every ordinary share outstanding. The figure is calculated by dividing the total dividends paid out by a business, including interim dividends, over a period of time, usually a year, by the number of outstanding ordinary shares issued.

What is the total dividend per share? ›

The term dividends per share (DPS) refers to the total dividend a company pays out over a 12-month period, divided by the total number of outstanding shares. A company uses this calculation to share profits with its shareholders.

What is the dividend yield per share? ›

Dividend Yield = Dividends Per Share / Price Per Share

Let's say a public company's share price is $50, and it pays annual dividends equal to $1.50 per share. To determine the dividend yield, divide the dividend amount per share by the price per share: $1.50 / $50 = 0.03.

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