| Getting paid a penny per share might be better than getting paid zilch. But for investors who are mainly looking to get paid for owning the stock, a tiny dividend isn't worth their time. A simple way to gauge the size of a stock's dividend is its dividend yield, or its dividend per share (on an annual basis) divided by its price per share. For example, if a stock valued at $100 pays a dividend of $3 per share, its dividend yield is 3%. If the stock price falls to $50, the dividend yield rises to 6%. Yes, decreasing share prices lead to increasing dividend yields. This makes dividend stocks one of the few assets that see their perceived values rise as their share prices fall. That, in turn, makes them increasingly attractive to shareholders. At face value, most dividend payers might seem to trade at low dividend yields. But yields fluctuate depending on both the stock's price and the amount paid out per period. However, while yields fluctuate based on price, the payout for a high-quality dividend stock is consistent. You shouldn't have to guess when or what your next payout will be. So if you buy a stock with an annual dividend of, say, $5 per share, you should be able to feel confident that you'll collect that $5 per share for years to come. But in the very best-case scenario, that dividend should increase over time, causing the yield on your principal to rise. In fact, you may be familiar with a group of stocks that are celebrated for their continual dividend increases... Stock Market Nobility Stocks with 25 or more consecutive years of dividend growth, commonly called "Dividend Aristocrats," reign supreme in the stock market. And it's not hard to see why. A company that's willing and able to pay a growing dividend for years or even decades on end is highly prized and sought after in the market - and not just for the payouts. A consistently rising dividend signals strong underlying financials too. As you can see below, the Dividend Aristocrats have outperformed the S&P 500 over the past 30-plus years. Compared with their non-dividend-paying peers, these are the real rainmakers in the stock game. And by reinvesting the dividends - that is, using them to purchase more shares - you can supercharge the stocks' performance over the long term. Even more importantly, you can use these high-quality dividend payers to help craft the perfect all-weather stock portfolio. Not only have they proved able to deliver strong, long-term growth to a portfolio, but they can also provide stability thanks to their dividend payouts and their increased appeal during bear markets or recessionary periods. Be excellent, Anthony | 
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