Sometimes when investors say that they want to calculate the "dividend" on their stocks, what they're actually referring to is the "dividend yield." The dividend yield is the percentage of your investment that a stock  will pay you back in the form of dividends. Dividend yield can be thought of as an "interest rate" on a stock. To get started, you'll need to find the current price per share of the stock you're analyzing.  For publicly-traded companies (Apple, for instance), you can find the latest stock price by checking the website of any major stock index (e.g., NASDAQ or S&P 500)  Keep in mind that the share price of a company's stock can fluctuate based on the company's performance. Thus, estimations for the dividend yield of a company's stock can be inaccurate if the stock's price suddenly moves significantly. Find the most recent DPS value of the stock you own. Again, the formula is DPS = (D - SD)/S where D = the amount of money paid in regular dividends, SD = the amount paid in special, one-time dividends, and S = the total number of shares of company stock owned by all investors. As noted above, you can typically find D and SD on a company's cash flow statement and S on its balance sheet. As an additional reminder, a company's DPS can fluctuate with time, so you'll want to use a recent time period for the most accurate results. Finally, divide your DPS value by the price per share for the stock you own to find your dividend yield (or, in other words, use the formula DY = DPS/SP). This simple ratio compares the amount of money you are paid in dividends to the amount of money you had to pay for the stock to begin with. The greater the dividend yield, the more money you'll earn on your initial investment. For example, let's say that you own 50 shares of company stock and that you bought these shares at a price of $20 per share. If the company's DPS in recent time periods has been roughly $1, you can find the dividend yield by plugging your values into the formula DY = DPS/SP; thus, DY = 1/20 = 0.05 or 5%. In other words, you'll make 5% of your investment back in each round of dividends, no matter how much or how little you invest. Investors often use dividend yields to determine whether to make certain investments or not. Different yields appeal to different investors. For instance, an investor who's looking for a steady, regular source of income might invest in a company with a high dividend yield. These are typically successful, established companies. On the other hand, an investor who's willing to take a risk for the chance of a major payout might invest in a young company with lots of growth potential. Such companies often keep most of their profits as retained earnings and won't pay out much in the form of dividends until they are more established. Thus, knowing the dividend yields of the companies you're thinking of investing in can help you make smart, informed investment decisions. For instance, let’s say that two competing companies both offer dividend payments of $2 per share. While they may at first seem to be equally good investment opportunities, if one company’s stock is trading at $20 per share and the other’s is trading at $100 per share, the company with the $20 share price is the better deal (all other factors being equal). Every share of the $20 company will earn you 2/20 or 10% of your initial investment per year, while every share of the $100 company will earn you just 2/100 or 2% of your initial investment.
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One-sentence summary -- Determine the share price of the stock you’re analyzing. Determine the DPS of the stock. Divide the DPS by the share price. Use dividend yields to compare investment opportunities.


Most people who are having to euthanize their dogs due to old age or chronic illness make an appointment to do it. This allows them to have some last quality time to spend with their pet before the procedure and for their families to give the pet a proper send off. This will also allow you to have more time to think about your choice and whether it is the best decision for your pet. In some cases, if your dog is brought in to a veterinary office with acute emergency symptoms, you will not be able to make the decision to euthanize and then come back to do it. In cases where your dog is in severe pain and distress and you have brought it in to a veterinary office for care, it may be best to euthanize the dog quickly to avoid extending its pain and suffering. While many veterinary procedures are paid for afterwards, in the case of euthanasia, it's best to get the business out of the way ahead of time so that you can focus on grieving afterwards. This includes deciding how your pets body will be dealt with after it is euthanized and paying for euthanasia and cremation, if chosen. Euthanasia is usually a reasonably priced procedure. If you cannot pay for the procedure, however, discuss your financial issues with the veterinary office and they may allow you to pay over time or they may refer you elsewhere for the procedure. In most cases, your veterinarian will ask you whether you would like to be with your pet while it is euthanized. This is a purely personal choice that depends on a lot of factors, such as whether you are emotionally sound enough to support your dog during the procedure.  Before you make a decision, discuss how the procedure will proceed with the veterinarian. In most cases euthanasia is done with an injection of a barbiturate anesthetic that puts the animal to sleep peacefully and then stops its heart. Occasionally, the vet will give an anxious or nervous dog an anti-anxiety medication to help soothe them. If you do decide to be present, spend the time loving on your dog. Pet it and care for it as it goes through the transition of death.
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One-sentence summary --
Make an appointment. Deal with logistical decisions and payment ahead of time. Decide if you would like to be with your pet.