Which are the top dividend payout stocks in India right now?
As per Equitymaster's Stock Screener, these are the top dividend payout stocks in India right now.
- #1 TECH MAHINDRA
- #2 VEDANTA
- #3 HUL
- #4 ORACLE FINANCIAL
- #5 HCL TECHNOLOGIES
These smallcap companies have been ranked according to their dividend payout ratio (DPR). A high ratio indicates that the company is paying out relatively more of its earnings in the form of dividends.
There are other parameters you should take into account as well before forming a hard opinion on the stock.
What is the dividend payout ratio of a company and how is it calculated?
Dividend payout ratio is a financial ratio that measures the percentage of net income that is distributed to shareholders in the form of dividends.
It is calculated by dividing the amount of dividend a company pays in a year by the net profit for the year.
Dividend Payout Ratio = Dividend per share/Earnings per share
Here's an example...Suppose a company's earnings per share is Rs 50 and the company's dividend per share is Rs 20. Using the above formula, the dividend payout ratio of a company is 40%.
This means that for every Rs 100 earned by the company, it distributed Rs 40 in the form of dividends to investors.
Should you invest in high dividend payout stocks?
Yes, it's a smart way to have a fixed and relatively stable source of income while being invested in the stock market.
Dividend paying stocks offer a source of regular income and are an excellent source of passive income.
Companies that pay dividends consistently are more stable than those that don't. Hence, the higher the dividend payout ratio and dividend yield, the better.
However, you shouldn't just look at dividend ratios alone to pick stocks for your portfolio.
How much should you invest in high dividend payout stocks?
Allocation to stocks cannot be determined by the dividends fetched from them. Rather investors must keep in mind that even high dividend yield stocks like Coal India have eroded shareholder wealth and bit the dust due to poor capital allocation, lack of corporate governance, and management apathy.
So, investors should bear in mind that all high dividend yield stocks are NOT wealth creators...even over the long-term.
Allocation to dividend stocks must depend on the marketcap of the company in question. If the company is a bluechip or a smallcap stock, please allocate funds to the stock accordingly.
Further, we believe that a single stock should ideally not comprise more than 5-6% of the total money allocated towards equities