Yield

Filed Under » ,
Dictionary Says

Definition of 'Yield'

The income return on an investment. This refers to the interest or dividends received from a security and is usually expressed annually as a percentage based on the investment's cost, its current market value or its face value.
Investopedia Says

Investopedia explains 'Yield'

This seemingly simple term, without a qualifier, can be rather confusing to investors.

For example, there are two stock dividend yields. If you buy a stock for $30 (cost basis) and its current price and annual dividend is $33 and $1, respectively, the "cost yield" will be 3.3% ($1/$30) and the "current yield" will be 3% ($1/$33). 

Bonds have four yields: coupon (the bond interest rate fixed at issuance), current (the bond interest rate as a percentage of the current price of the bond), and yield to maturity (an estimate of what an investor will receive if the bond is held to its maturity date). Non-taxable municipal bonds will have a tax-equivalent (TE) yield determined by the investor's tax bracket.

Mutual fund yields are an annual percentage measure of income (dividends and interest) earned by the fund's portfolio, net of the fund's expenses. In addition, the "SEC yield" is an indicator of the percentage yield on a fund based on a 30-day period.    

Related Definitions

  • Yield Curve

    A line that plots the interest rates, at a set point in time, of bonds having equal credit quality, but differing maturity dates. The most frequently reported yield curve compares the ...
    Read More »
  • Yield Elbow

    The point on the yield curve indicating the year in which the economy's highest interest rates occur.
    Read More »
  • Yield Equivalence

    The interest rate on a taxable security that would render a return equivalent to that of a tax-exempt security, and vice versa, calculated as follows:
    Read More »
    • Yield To Maturity - YTM

      The rate of return anticipated on a bond if it is held until the maturity date. YTM is considered a long-term bond yield expressed as an annual rate. The calculation of YTM takes into ...
      Read More »
    • Yield To Call

      The yield of a bond or note if you were to buy and hold the security until the call date. This yield is valid only if the security is called prior to maturity. The calculation of yield ...
      Read More »
    • Yield To Worst - YTW

      The lowest potential yield that can be received on a bond without the issuer actually defaulting. The yield to worst is calculated by making worst-case scenario assumptions on the issue ...
      Read More »
    • Dividend Yield

      A financial ratio that shows how much a company pays out in dividends each year relative to its share price. In the absence of any capital gains, the dividend yield is the return on ...
      Read More »
    • Annual Percentage Yield - APY

      The effective annual rate of return taking into account the effect of compounding interest. APY is calculated by: The resultant percentage number assumes that funds will remain in the ...
      Read More »
    • Tax-Equivalent Yield

      The pretax yield that a taxable bond needs to possess for its yield to be equal to that of a tax-free municipal bond. This calculation can be used to fairly compare the yield of a ...
      Read More »
    • Current Yield

      Annual income (interest or dividends) divided by the current price of the security. This measure looks at the current price of a bond instead of its face value and represents the return ...
      Read More »

Articles Of Interest

Partner Links