Dividends and buybacks

Total Return

The full result of an investment over a period: the change in price plus the dividends received.

Why does it matter?

Looking only at the price leaves out dividends, which can be a large part of the result for companies that pay them.

How do I read it?

A share that rose 5% and paid a 3% dividend had a total return of about 8%. StockLab's price charts show the change in price only, without dividends.

Example

Over a year, a share went from $100 to $95, but it paid $4 in dividends. The price fell 5%, but the total return was about −1%.