If you track dividend income, you've probably seen two similar-sounding metrics: dividend yield and yield on cost (YOC). They both express how much income a stock generates relative to its price — but they answer fundamentally different questions.
Confusing the two can lead to poor decisions. Let's break them down.
Dividend yield: the market's view
Dividend yield is the simplest income metric. It divides the annual dividend per share by the stock's current market price:
For example, if a stock pays $2.00 per year in dividends and currently trades at $50, its dividend yield is 4.0%.
This number changes daily as the stock price moves. If the stock rises to $60, the yield drops to 3.3% — even though the actual dividend payment hasn't changed.
What it tells you: What income would a new buyer earn at today's price.
Yield on cost: your personal view
Yield on cost uses the same annual dividend, but divides by the price you actually paid — your cost basis:
Using the same example: if you bought the stock at $30 and it still pays $2.00 per year, your yield on cost is 6.7% — even though the current market yield is only 4.0%.
What it tells you: What income your invested dollars are actually generating.
Why tracking both matters
Each metric serves a different purpose in your investment decisions:
- Dividend yield helps you evaluate whether to buy, hold, or add to a position at today's price.
- Yield on cost shows you how well your past decisions are paying off — it's a measure of your real income return.
A stock might have a modest 2.5% current yield but a 7% yield on cost for long-term holders who bought years ago. That context changes the conversation entirely.
The compounding effect
Companies that consistently raise dividends create a powerful compounding effect on yield on cost. If you bought a stock at $40 with a $1.00 dividend (2.5% yield), and the company grows that dividend by 8% annually, after 10 years:
- Annual dividend: $2.16 per share
- Your yield on cost: 5.4%
- Current market yield might be: 2.8%
This is why dividend growth investors are willing to accept lower starting yields — they're buying future income at a discount.
How Infnits tracks this for you
Infnits automatically calculates both metrics for every position in your portfolio. When you connect your brokerage, your cost basis is pulled in directly, so your yield on cost is always accurate — no manual entry needed. You can compare both metrics side-by-side in the dividend income view to understand which positions are your best performers on a true income basis.