Dividends

Jordan Hayes jmhayes at j-o-r-d-a-n.com
Mon Jan 6 10:39:46 PST 2003



> You're buying a capital asset with the assumption that
> it will return income for a long time, maybe foreever.

(you know what happens when you assume!)

I actually doubt that this figures much into the purchase of most stocks. Many stocks don't pay dividends; the ones that do often underperform equivalent risk-adjusted investments. There's very few reasons to buy a stock other than "because you think it will appreciate" -- i.e., generate a capital gain.


> You can sell it if you like and get your capital back (and
> often at a higher price)

Are you saying that, on average, stocks go up? :-)

I thought I read recently that the net gain in the entire NASDAQ over the last N (7?) years was $0.


> it's not like the dividend reduces the asset's intrinsic value.

It doesn't? The balance sheet goes down. I'd call that as 'intrinsic' as it gets. When a stock goes ex-dividend, the price drops instantaneously. You're, by definition, dividing the investment into two pieces: 1) the 'productive' part that stays with the company and 2) the cash part that goes elsewhere.


> And where do the profits come from to pay dividends? From
> uncompensated labor, of course. Why not get a bit back from the
> rentiers?

Well sure, but that's back to my "because they can" ...?

Has anyone seen the actual proposal?

/jordan



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