A simple divided calculator spreadsheet does the heavy lifting to figure out how many you need to reach your dividend goals
As part of building your monthly dividend portfolio or general dividend investing goals, you need to calculate how many shares you need. While the math is relatively straightforward, I created a quick dividend calculator spreadsheet to help me look at multiple goals at one time.
By simply entering the stock symbol and quarterly dividend payment I can see how many shares I need to create one new reinvested share per year or per quarter. Or if I want to target dividend amounts per year or quarter, the spreadsheet also calculates that for me.
Quarterly dividend payments are the most common approach. I also set up this spreadsheet to be flexible to allow for monthly, semiannual, or annual dividend payments. Change the number of payments per year to account for the different payment cycles.
What is included in the simple dividend calculator spreadsheet
Depending on your dividend investing goals, you will need to calculate different targets. The spreadsheet I created estimates the number of shares (rounded up to the nearest full share) for:
- one share per year (approximately a quarter share per quarter)
- one share per quarter
- $100 per year in dividends
- $250 per year in dividends
- $500 per year in dividends
- $750 per year in dividends
- $1,000 per year in dividends
- $25 per dividend payment
- $75 per dividend payment
- $100 per dividend payment
- $250 per dividend payment
- $500 per dividend payment
The shares calculated per dividend payment is useful for creating monthly dividend portfolios. This shows you want you’ll receive in the month the dividend pays out. If you purchase 3 stocks with payments that don’t overlap months, you’ll receive money each month of the year.
I also created the share per year calculation to help figure out the investment needed to (approximately) reach one new share per year with reinvestment. In my early mistakes with dividend investing, I didn’t realize partial shares are sold when an account is transferred to a new brokerage company. If you need ideas for stocks you can also check out the Dividend Aristocrats Spreadsheet.
Wrapping up. I’d love feedback on the simple dividend spreadsheet.
Have you had a chance to take a look? I’d love feedback. What additional would you like to calculate as part of figuring out how many shares you need to buy to reach a goal?
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