S&P 500's dividends creep up a bit more
The S&P 500 Stock Index today touched 4 year highs, and the high end of what I would call "fair value" level (in terms of its price-to-earnings ratio). And Standard and Poors announced a little good news for shareholders: an increase in the indicated dividend rate for the index.
No need to get too excited just yet, as this represents, at today's level for the 500, an increase in yield of about 10 basis points, from 1.75% to 1.85%.
Still, not to sneeze at it - every bit of yield helps. But I'll continue to try to goose my state-side stock dividend yields with fair helpings of DVY, the Dow Jones Select Dividend Index Fund, at least until I get a good look at Vanguard's forthcoming exchange -traded fund, the Vanguard Dividend Appreciation Index Fund, which I assume will have a lower expense ratio than DVY's 0.40%.
What profiteth it a man to gain in yield and lose in fund expenses?