Payment Of Dividends And Other Cash Distributions (Historical) Formula in Excel

Understanding Payment Of Dividends And Other Cash Distributions (Historical)

The Payment Of Dividends And Other Cash Distributions (Historical) formula in MarketXLS allows you to retrieve historical data about the amount a company has paid in dividends and other cash distributions over a given period. Dividends typically represent the distribution of earnings to shareholders, and analyzing these figures can help you:

• Gain insights into the company’s shareholder return strategies.
• Evaluate a company’s stability and profitability through its dividend history.
• Compare dividend policies across different stocks or indexes.

? Pro Tip: This function is especially useful when researching dividend-paying stocks or comparing year-on-year changes in dividend payouts.

Syntax and Parameters

Use the following syntax in Excel to call this function:

=hf_Payment_of_Dividends_and_Other_Cash_Distributions(Symbol, year, [quarter], [TTM])

• Return Value: Returns a numeric value representing the amount paid in dividends and other cash distributions for the specified historical period.
• Error Handling: Returns "NA" if the symbol is invalid, subscription license is not valid, or if there is an internal error.
• Performance Considerations: The function uses online data calls. A stable internet connection is recommended for consistent performance.

?? Note: A historical fundamental data subscription is required to use this function successfully.

Examples and Usage

Below are various ways to call the function depending on your data inputs and reporting needs:

1. Basic symbol and year:

   =hf_Payment_of_Dividends_and_Other_Cash_Distributions("MSFT", 2022)

   Retrieves dividends and other cash distributions paid by Microsoft in 2022.

2. Including quarter:

   =hf_Payment_of_Dividends_and_Other_Cash_Distributions("MSFT", 2022, 2)

   Retrieves the data specifically for Quarter 2 of 2022.

3. Trailing Twelve Months (TTM) for Quarter 3:

   =hf_Payment_of_Dividends_and_Other_Cash_Distributions("MSFT", 2022, 3, "TTM")

   Retrieves trailing-twelve-month data up to Q3 of 2022.

4. Using relative references:
   » Last quarter:

   =hf_Payment_of_Dividends_and_Other_Cash_Distributions("MSFT", "lq")

   » Last year minus one:

   =hf_Payment_of_Dividends_and_Other_Cash_Distributions("MSFT", "ly-1")

   » Last 12 months:

   =hf_Payment_of_Dividends_and_Other_Cash_Distributions("MSFT", "lt")

   These relative parameters automatically pull the corresponding historical period data.

5. Using different date input styles:

   • Cell reference:

     =hf_Payment_of_Dividends_and_Other_Cash_Distributions(A1, "2024", 1)

   • Direct date (text format):
     (Not typically applicable for this function, but included for consistency with other MarketXLS functions.)
   • Excel date functions:

     =hf_Payment_of_Dividends_and_Other_Cash_Distributions("MSFT", TEXT(A1,"yyyy"), 2)

Common Questions

1. What if the symbol is invalid or not supported?
   The function will return "NA" if the symbol is invalid. Ensure you have typed a valid ticker and have the required data subscription.

2. Does this function support international stocks or cryptocurrency tickers?
   Yes. You can fetch data with formats like "BTCUSD:DEFAULT" for crypto or "@MSFT 110122C00020000" for options, provided your subscription plan supports these.

3. Why am I getting “NA” even though I entered valid parameters?
   This might occur if your MarketXLS subscription doesn’t include historical fundamentals data. Upgrading or verifying your subscription should resolve the issue.

4. How can I track changes in dividends over multiple quarters or years quickly?
   Create multiple cells with different parameters (e.g., Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4, or ly, ly-1) to compare how distributions evolve over time.

5. Any recommended best practices for performance?

   • Refresh data in moderation to avoid rate limits.
   • Use stable internet connectivity for consistent calls.
   • Consider limiting large batch calculations to off-peak hours.

? Pro Tip: Combine this function with other historical fundamentals functions—like hf_Revenue—to build a detailed model of a company’s financial health over time.