S&P 500 dividend yield: 1.07%

Yield isn't the whole payout anymore#

Since the 1980s, buybacks have grown into a cash return as large as dividends — often larger. A company repurchasing 3% of its shares returns cash just as surely as one paying a 3% dividend, but only the latter shows up here. That's why comparing today's 1.07% against the pre-1980 chart overstates how "stingy" the modern index is. We measure the combined figure from actual SEC cash-flow filings on the shareholder yield list (dividends + net buybacks ÷ market cap), and the pure-income ranking on the highest dividend stocks list.

FAQ#

What is the S&P 500's dividend yield?

About 1.07% — the weighted average of every member's indicated dividend yield (non-payers counted at zero), updated daily.

Why is the yield low by historical standards?

Two reasons. Valuations are high (yield is dividends ÷ price, so expensive markets mechanically yield less), and since the 1980s companies have shifted cash returns from dividends to share buybacks, which don't show up in yield at all. The long-run median yield is 4.18%; today's comparable trailing yield of 1.07% sits lower than 99.89% of history — but adding buybacks, total cash returned to shareholders is far closer to historical norms.

Which S&P 500 stocks pay the highest dividends?

See our highest-dividend-stocks list — the fattest verified yields, each cross-checked against price data to confirm the dividend was actually paid. For dividends plus buybacks combined, the shareholder-yield list ranks total cash returned to owners from SEC cash-flow filings.