How Do Dividends Affect Stock Valuation?

Dividends don't directly affect the valuation of stock investments, as they aren't included in the calculation of most valuation metrics. However, a company's dividend activity or its dividend yield can certainly affect investor sentiment and move the price of the stock, thereby changing its valuation.

First of all, a dividend doesn't have a direct impact on a stock's valuation. Common valuation metrics such as the price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio, price-to-book (P/B) ratio, and most others are calculated in the same way regardless of whether a stock pays a dividend.

Image source: Getty Images.

Source: Fool.com