Dod101 wrote:Why do investors need a forecast dividend anyway? What is the purpose? In normal times I use the trailing yield (actual income for the last 12 months/ current value) but currently that does not work for all shares because as we know same have cancelled their dividends and others have drastically reduced them. For me that applies only to Imperial Brands and Shell having reduced their dividends and to HSBC having cancelled them. Otherwise for the sake of comparison, I can continue to use the trailing yield.
That avoids my having to worry about forecasts and how to check them and avoids worrying about the reliability of any particular site. Keep it simple.
Dod
Why would I work out a trailing yield, when a forecast yield automatically pops out of the HYPTUSS? And it seems you have some "worry" too as you admit that doe not work!
Why would I go to that effort? Keep it simple, indeed - run HYPTUSS. The results without correction or faffing about is likely to be as close as the trailing yield (in point of fact, HYPTUSS will return the trailing yield too, if that's what you want).
As regards the purpose - why do you want the yield?
For me it's twofold: when buying new shares I need to know the likely outlook (so clearly the trailing yield is not relevant), for the existing invesments I want a reasonabl idea of my income, for I usually set that each December to run for a year. 2020 was the first time I reduced my income part way through the year, but hopefully that will be an exception. Luckily, it was one I planned for.
Arb.