iShares MSCI EAFE ETF = EFA: $1 dividend/share

[HeSaidSheSaid]

Free and easy money = $1 dividend/share

Date Div*
12/21/16 0.596
06/22/16 1.175
12/21/15 0.508
12/21/15 0.508
06/25/15 1.111
12/17/14 0.585
06/25/14 1.676
12/18/13 0.552
06/27/13 1.152
12/18/12 0.610
06/21/12 1.149
12/20/11 0.569
06/22/11 1.141
12/21/10 0.538
06/23/10 0.954
12/22/09 0.496
06/23/09 0.945
12/23/08 0.541
12/24/07 2.000
12/21/06 1.533
12/23/05 1.110
12/23/04 0.803
12/22/03 0.523
12/16/03 0.157
12/23/02 0.627
12/24/01 0.027
10/02/01 0.055

EFA — Stock Holdings Page 1 of 49

Stock Weight Amount
Nestle SA 1.7794% $1,238,543,081
Roche Holding Par AG 1.3647% $949,891,385
Novartis AG 1.2757% $887,948,038
Hsbc Holdings Plc 1.2085% $841,159,031
Toyota Motor 1.0445% $727,024,625
British American Tobacco Plc 0.9324% $648,988,679
Total SA 0.8683% $604,403,766
Commonwealth Bank OF Australia 0.8438% $587,311,913
Royal Dutch Shell Plc Class A 0.8380% $583,268,518
Siemens N AG 0.8145% $566,929,162
Sanofi SA 0.8127% $565,666,101
BP Plc 0.8035% $559,265,675
Bayer AG 0.7602% $529,155,306
Royal Dutch Shell Plc Class B 0.7375% $513,324,671
Sap 0.7331% $510,314,088
Glaxosmithkline Plc 0.7262% $505,473,340
Banco Santander SA 0.7079% $492,772,955
Basf N 0.6657% $463,390,594
Westpac Banking Corporation 0.6614% $460,408,066
Allianz 0.6475% $450,722,479

 

[Sig]

Free and easy money = $1 dividend/share

Date Div*
12/21/16 0.596
06/22/16 1.175
12/21/15 0.508
12/21/15 0.508
06/25/15 1.111
12/17/14 0.585
06/25/14 1.676
12/18/13 0.552
06/27/13 1.152
12/18/12 0.610
06/21/12 1.149
12/20/11 0.569
06/22/11 1.141
12/21/10 0.538
06/23/10 0.954
12/22/09 0.496
06/23/09 0.945
12/23/08 0.541
12/24/07 2.000
12/21/06 1.533
12/23/05 1.110
12/23/04 0.803
12/22/03 0.523
12/16/03 0.157
12/23/02 0.627
12/24/01 0.027
10/02/01 0.055

EFA — Stock Holdings Page 1 of 49

Stock Weight Amount
Nestle SA 1.7794% $1,238,543,081
Roche Holding Par AG 1.3647% $949,891,385
Novartis AG 1.2757% $887,948,038
Hsbc Holdings Plc 1.2085% $841,159,031
Toyota Motor 1.0445% $727,024,625
British American Tobacco Plc 0.9324% $648,988,679
Total SA 0.8683% $604,403,766
Commonwealth Bank OF Australia 0.8438% $587,311,913
Royal Dutch Shell Plc Class A 0.8380% $583,268,518
Siemens N AG 0.8145% $566,929,162
Sanofi SA 0.8127% $565,666,101
BP Plc 0.8035% $559,265,675
Bayer AG 0.7602% $529,155,306
Royal Dutch Shell Plc Class B 0.7375% $513,324,671
Sap 0.7331% $510,314,088
Glaxosmithkline Plc 0.7262% $505,473,340
Banco Santander SA 0.7079% $492,772,955
Basf N 0.6657% $463,390,594
Westpac Banking Corporation 0.6614% $460,408,066
Allianz 0.6475% $450,722,479

Maybe I'm missing something, but stocks generally drop by the amount of the dividend the day they go ex. So this whole "free, easy money" thing is really just converting your equity into cash, the companies still have to perform or else you net out to the same as if you had no dividend. Not sure why I'd want to invest my cash into something that will just convert some of it back to cash with no net gain and a tax event to boot?

 

[luisHK]

Maybe I'm missing something, but stocks generally drop by the amount of the dividend the day they go ex. So this whole "free, easy money" thing is really just converting your equity into cash, the companies still have to perform or else you net out to the same as if you had no dividend. Not sure why I'd want to invest my cash into something that will just convert some of it back to cash with no net gain and a tax event to boot?

Same feeling here, except if one need the dividends for their living expenses, in which case receiving dividends might be better than selling a portion of the portfolio, dividends are largely a hassle.