"The only thing that gives me pleasure is to see my dividends coming in" John D. Rockefeller๐ฐ
- Gabor Fogarasi
- Jun 6, 2025
- 3 min read
Updated: Dec 9, 2025

๐It is a mesmerizing feeling when you see money hitting your account, out of thin air. You did not work for it; your capital did. Whole libraries have been written on how great dividends are, and many people build their strategy on dividends as a means of getting regular cash flow.
I'd like to make a case for why you should NOT focus on dividends alone.
๐๐๐ฉ'๐จ ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐ฉ ๐ฌ๐๐ฉ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐๐ฉ๐จ ๐ค๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐จ
๐Regular Cash Flow. Companies, especially mature companies, have a fixed schedule of (mostly) quarterly dividends. Predictable income.
๐Financially Healthy companies can afford to pay average dividends, however, I'll get back to this at the disadvantages. The average dividend yield of the $SPX500 (SPX500 Index (Non Expiry))ย companies is 1.27%. Some don't pay at all, and others pay usually somewhere between 2%-6% $CVX (Chevron)ย pays 5% in a year, and it is among the higher ones.
๐Psychological benefits, reinforcing a sense of ownership, and seeing the fruits of your investments.
๐๐๐ฎ ๐ ๐๐ข ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ฌ๐๐ฎ ๐๐ง๐ค๐ข ๐๐๐ซ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐-๐๐ฃ๐ซ๐๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ค๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐จ?
โCompanies paying (high) dividends may lack opportunities to reinvest profits for higher growth, potentially limiting future returns.
โCompanies paying extremely high dividends, usually above 7%-8% often cannot afford it. They are usually in some sort of financial trouble, and they need to compensate investors for high risk, so expect the stock price to decline. $IIPR (Innovative Industrial Properties Inc. A)ย over 13% dividend. I let you do the reading, but the company has been declining steadily in the past 5 years. Not a coincidence.
โDividends are not guaranteed and can be reduced or eliminated, especially during economic downturns or company-specific crises. Yes, there are dividend Aristocrat companies that would never touch the dividend, unless they really have to. A recent example is $T (AT&T Inc)ย when they cut their dividends in 2022 after raising them every year for 25 years.
โTax inefficiencies: Dividends are typically taxed in the year they are received, which can be less favorable than capital gains taxes that are deferred until sale. Also, in many countries, capital gains are taxed more favorably than regular dividend income, either by rewarding long holding periods or a lower tax category.
๐๐๐๐ฉ ๐๐ค ๐ ๐ฅ๐ง๐๐๐๐ง ๐๐ฃ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐๐ ๐ค๐ ๐ฟ๐๐ซ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐จ?
โ Capital Gains. I get to choose when I realize my gains, optimizing my taxes. ๐คฉ
โ Stocks not paying a dividend usually reinvest everything to the business. They see it as a better return, and I should trust the management team. Top companies, such as $NVDA (NVIDIA Corporation)ย ๐คฉ
โ Stock Buybacks: Companies repurchase their own shares, reducing the number of outstanding shares and increasing the value of remaining shares. Buybacks can be more tax-efficient than dividends for shareholders and signal managementโs belief in the companyโs undervaluation. If a company can buy back its own shares, that means they have cash reserves, it is a solid company. ๐คฉ
๐For many modern investors, capital gains and stock buybacks may be preferable due to their tax advantages and potential for higher returns. However, every investor's situation is different, and in certain cases, Dividends are the answer! For me, not yet. I keep on focusing on undervalued companies and growth potential. I am not investing to get a single-digit dividend, I want to see real growth.๐น๐๐๐
Check out what you can learn from my investment journey:
๐ I'm Gabor Fogarasi - I Don't Work for Money, Money Works for Me.๐ฐ
๐ eToroโs CopyTrader feature lets you automatically mirror my Strategy! ๐
โ 2023 - 54.58%
โ 2024 - 54.1%
Gabor Fogarasi @fogi70
eToro Popular Investor ๐ฆ
CISI Level3 Investment Certification
Copy Trading does not amount to investment advice. Your investments value may go up or down. Your capital is at risk.






