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​​​Video: A Good Day for Dividends​​​

Greg Adam's Photo

Gregory Adams, CFA;

Senior Vice President
Portfolio Manager and Director of Quantitative & Risk Management

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In this video, Alger Growth & Income Portfolio Manager Greg Adams, CFA, discusses why he thinks investors may be surprised by the long-term returns of innovative growth companies that also generate dividends.​

How have dividends historically contributed to total returns in the market? ​
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GREG ADAMS: So, if you look at the market over ten-year rolling periods, dividends are often a very significant part of the total return in the market. 

For the entire decade of the 2000s, in fact, they were all of the return in the market. The actual price return was negative, but if you look at the ‘90s, the decade that preceded that, it was pretty low, only about 16 percent, but typically 20 to 40 percent of the return you get over any ten-year period is because of dividends and the compounding of dividends, and if you go out over longer periods of time, it's even more dramatic. 

I think people miss that compounding aspect of dividends. I mean I think if you look over the last 20 years, it's 40% of the return, and over the past 50 years, approaching 75% of the return is from being able to take those dividends and reinvest them into the index, into the stocks and get that compounding element. 

Was the rising interest rate economy of the last two years a boon to dividend growing companies? 

GREG: Yes, it absolutely was. I think dividends tend to be more stable. So, in periods like we had last year where the market's a little weak, people worried about inflation. That lower volatility aspect of dividends and, as a result, dividend-paying companies is fairly attractive. 

I think the other thing in an inflationary environment is dividend growth tends to pretty much mirror Consumer Price Index (CPI) growth not necessarily in any one year, but if you look at kind of three-, five-year, ten-year periods, I think dividends tend to grow in line and are pretty reasonably correlated with inflation. So, I think that is another attractive development. 

I think if rates stabilize it's still a good environment for dividend-paying stocks. Dividend payout ratios are pretty historically low. So, I think there's room to grow dividends. We think companies need to have confidence in order to initiate and grow dividends because it's unlike stock buybacks which are also important but can be much more variable. When you make a commitment to a dividend, companies do not want to cut dividends if at all possible, so they need to have a little bit more confidence. So, I think stabilizing of the rate environment helps on that front. We think lots of cash and historically low payout ratios is a pretty good environment for growing dividends. 

Then the other thing that’s kind of interesting this year is the Inflation Reduction Act, the IRA. As part of that, there’s now a one percent surtax on stock buybacks. So, I think on the margin, that will start to favor a little bit more movement towards dividends and dividend growth. 

What do you look for in dividend growing companies?
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GREG: We try and find companies where we think they're well positioned for not just the next year but for multiple years that we can kind of ride through the ebbs and flows, that those dividends will continue to grow and compound for us. But yes, when we start to have concerns about the sustainability of the dividend, that's a big red flag for us, and we tend to exit those positions. 

I think it's always a good time to think about having that longer-term time horizon because that's the real benefit of focusing on dividends and income in a portfolio and that reinvestment aspect. And I think we're set up to potentially see a period of higher dividend growth because of the cash on balance sheets and the low payout ratio. So, I think now is a particularly good time.
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In this video, Alger Growth & Income Portfolio Manager Greg Adams, CFA, discusses why he thinks investors may be surprised by the returns of growth companies that also generate dividends.​

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​The views expressed are the views of Fred Alger Management, LLC (FAM) and its affiliates as of December 2023. These views are subject to change at any time and may not represent the views of all portfolio management teams. These views should not be interpreted as a guarantee of the future performance of the markets, any security or any funds managed by FAM. These views are not meant to provide investment advice and should not be considered a recommendation to purchase or sell securities. Holdings and sector allocations are subject to change.

Important Information for US Investors: This material must be accompanied by the most recent fund fact sheet(s) if used in connection with the sale of mutual fund and ETF shares. Fred Alger & Company, LLC serves as distributor of the Alger mutual funds.

Important Information for UK and EU Investors: This material is directed at investment professionals and qualified investors (as defined by MiFID/FCA regulations). It is for information purposes only and has been prepared and is made available for the benefit investors. This material does not constitute an offer or solicitation to any person in any jurisdiction in which it is not authorised or permitted, or to anyone who would be an unlawful recipient, and is only intended for use by original recipients and addressees.

The original recipient is solely responsible for any actions in further distributing this material and should be satisfied in doing so that there is no breach of local legislation or regulation. Certain products may be subject to restrictions with regard to certain persons or in certain countries under national regulations applicable to such persons or countries. Alger Management, Ltd. (company house number 8634056, domiciled at 85 Gresham Street, Suite 308, London, EC2V 7NQ, UK) is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, for the distribution of regulated financial products and services. FAM and/or Weatherbie Capital, LLC, U.S. registered investment advisors, serve as sub portfolio manager to financial products distributed by Alger Management, Ltd. Alger Group Holdings, LLC (parent company of FAM and Alger Management, Ltd.), FAM, and Fred Alger & Company, LLC are not an authorized person for the purposes of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 of the United Kingdom (“FSMA”) and this material has not been approved by an authorized person for the purposes of Section 21(2)(b) of the FSMA.

Important information for Investors in Israel: This material is provided in Israel only to investors of the type listed in the first schedule of the Securities Law, 1968 (the “Securities Law”) and the Regulation of Investment Advice, Investment Marketing and Investment Portfolio Management Law, 1995. The Fund units will not be sold to investors who are not of the type listed in the first schedule of the Securities Law.

Risk Disclosures: Investing in the stock market involves risks, including the potential loss of principal. Growth stocks may be more volatile than other stocks as their prices tend to be higher in relation to their companies’ earnings and may be more sensitive to market, political, and economic developments. Local, regional or global events such as environmental or natural disasters, war, terrorism, pandemics, outbreaks of infectious diseases and similar public health threats, recessions, or other events could have a significant impact on investments. A significant portion of assets may be invested in securities of companies in related sectors or industries, and may be similarly affected by economic, political, or market events and conditions and may be more vulnerable to unfavorable sector or industry developments. Past performance is not indicative of future performance. Investing in innovation is not without risk and there is no guarantee that investments in research and development will result in a company gaining market share or achieving enhanced revenue. Companies exploring new technologies may face regulatory, political or legal challenges that may adversely impact their competitive positioning and financial prospects. Also, developing technologies to displace older technologies or create new markets may not in fact do so, and there may be sector-specific risks as well. As is the case with any industry, there will be winners and losers that emerge and investors therefore need to conduct a significant amount of due diligence on individual companies to assess these risks and opportunities.

Source: Factset; Hartford Funds, The Power of Dividends: Past, Present & Future.

The S&P 500 Index is an unmanaged index generally representative of the U.S. stock market. 

The S&P indexes are a product of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC and/or its affiliates and has been licensed for use by Fred Alger Management, LLC and its affiliates. Copyright 2023 S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC, a subsidiary of S&P Global Inc. and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. Redistribution or reproduction in whole or in part are prohibited without written permission of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC. S&P® is a registered trademark of Standard & Poor’s Financial Services LLC and Dow Jones® is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC. Neither S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC, Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC, their affiliates nor their third party licensors make any representation or warranty, express or implied, as to the ability of any index to accurately represent the asset class or market sector that it purports to represent and neither S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC, Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC, their affiliates nor their third party licensors shall have any liability for any errors, omissions, or interruptions of any index or the data included therein.

Investors cannot invest directly in any index. Index performance does not reflect deductions for taxes. The performance data quoted represents past performance, which is not an indication or a guarantee of future results.

Fred Alger Management, LLC 100 Pearl Street, New York, NY 10004 / 800.223.3810 ​/ www.alger.com

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