At the Money: Getting More Out of Dividends with Shareholder Yield
Oct 30, 2024
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Meb Faber, Co-Founder and CIO of Cambria Investment Management, dives into the world of shareholder yield, highlighting its broader definition beyond just dividends. He explains how including share buybacks and debt paydowns can enhance returns. The discussion weaves through market analyses of large, mid, and small caps, revealing the performance differences with traditional strategies. Faber also touches on the landscape for shareholder yield ETFs and even connects personal growth through therapy, emphasizing holistic investor well-being.
Shareholder yield, encompassing dividends and buybacks, offers investors a more comprehensive metric for evaluating total returns.
Companies with strong cash flow can utilize multiple strategies including dividends and buybacks to enhance shareholder value effectively.
Deep dives
Understanding Shareholder Yield
Shareholder yield refers to the total cash payout to shareholders, which includes both dividends and net stock buybacks. This metric provides a more comprehensive picture of how companies distribute cash to their investors, contrasting with traditional views that focus solely on dividends. The significance of this approach is underscored by companies like Apple, which utilize both dividends and buybacks to return value to shareholders. Recognizing shareholder yield is crucial for investors looking to maximize their returns, as those who only consider dividends may overlook significant additional value.
The Impact of Company Cash Management
Companies that return cash to investors through dividends or buybacks generally have strong cash flow, allowing them to sustain these payouts. Various strategies are available for companies when they have extra cash, such as increasing dividends, buying back shares, or investing in growth opportunities. The decision on how to deploy cash often hinges on the company's growth phase and market environment. Leaders need to assess which actions will yield the best return on investment while maintaining a balance between rewarding shareholders and fostering sustainable growth.
Characteristics of Shareholder Yield Across Markets
The effectiveness of the shareholder yield strategy spans various market sizes, from small-cap to large-cap stocks, and even extends internationally. Historically, companies exhibiting high shareholder yields tend to perform better than those focusing solely on dividends. In recent years, this strategy has become particularly attractive due to widening valuation spreads, especially in a diverse global market. As firms in both developed and emerging markets increasingly allocate cash through buybacks, the potential returns for investors adopting a shareholder yield approach appear more promising than those relying on traditional dividend strategies.
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Dividend investing has a long and storied history, but it turns out dividends are only part of the picture driving stock returns. One alternative is shareholder yield, which includes not only dividends, but also share buybacks and debt paydowns as indicators of future gains. On this episode, Barry Ritholtz speaks with Cambria Investment Management co-Founder and CIO, Meb Faber. Together they break down how you can participate in shareholder yield and get more out of your dividends.
Each week, “At the Money” discusses an important topic in money management. From portfolio construction to taxes and cutting down on fees, join Barry Ritholtz to learn the best ways to put your money to work.