Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) Yield

What's the yield of the Dow? Eh. It's a "market yield" because that's what the Dow, more or less is. But it's a synthesized, much smaller view of the market than, say, the S&P 500.

Why? The Dow comprises only 30 stocks. And those tend to be bigger, slower, higher dividend payers. So in an era when the S&P 500 might be paying 2.5% in dividend yield, the Dow might pay more like 3%.

Why does it matter? Well, there have been eras where dividends received more favorable tax treatment and/or dividends were perceived as comprising a very large part of the value in investing in equities. The world changed. Like it always does. And today, or at least in the modern era, investors believe in long-term growth or capital appreciation, and are less focused on the divvy.

Why? Well, in part, because companies didn't raise their dividends as fast as their stock prices grew, so the amount of dividend paid relative to stock prices remains at historic lows.

Our bet: the world will keep changing. Don't ignore your dividends.