The document explains how to calculate the expected total return of a stock, which includes dividend payments and changes in stock price. It outlines a step-by-step process using an example with Coca-Cola, emphasizing the importance of estimating future earnings growth and valuation multiples. The expected total return for Coca-Cola is calculated to be 1.1%, taking into account a 3.1% dividend yield, 1.9% expected earnings growth, and a -3.9% change in valuation multiple.

1. How To Calculate The
Expected Total Return of Any
Stock
With Nick McCullum from Sure Dividend

2. What is Expected Total Return?
Expected total return is the complete return that investors receive.
It is composed of:
-Dividend payments
-Changes in stock price

3. How To Calculate Expected Total Return
1. Find the initial cost of the investment
2. Find total amount of dividends or interest paid during investment period
3. Find the closing sales price of the investment
4. Add sum of dividends and/or interest to the closing price
5. Divide this number by the initial investment cost and subtract 1

4. How To Calculate Expected Total Return
1. Initial cost: $10
2. Total interest/dividends paid: $1
3. Sale price of the investment: $20
4. Sum of sale price and interest/dividends: $20 + $1 = $21
5. Dividend this number by the initial investment and subtract 1:
$21 / $10 – 1 = 110%

5. How To Calculate Expected Total Return
This tutorial shows how to calculate total return when all the variables are
known.
In reality, total return calculations have much more uncertainty.
Forward-looking total return estimates can be computed using three factors:
1. Dividend yield
2. Expected earnings growth
3. Expected valuation multiple change

7. Coca-Cola Example: Expected Total
Return Calculation
1. Dividend yield: 3.1%
2. Expected earnings growth
3. Expected valuation multiple change

8. Step 2: Determine a Reasonable
Earnings Estimate
Earnings estimates can be either internally generated (created by you) or
externally found (provided by analysts).
If you are uncomfortable estimating future earnings growth yourself, it’s best
to rely on analysts.
Your stock broker likely provides earnings estimates from a number of
analysts in its research dashboard.

9. Step 2: Determine a Reasonable
Earnings Estimate
This is an example of such an earnings estimate table. Analysts expect
Coca-Cola’s earnings to grow from $2.08 in 2013 to $2.38 in 2020,
representing annual growth of 1.9% per year.
It’s best to use a long time frame whenever possible.

10. Coca-Cola Example: Expected Total
Return Calculation
1. Dividend yield: 3.1%
2. Expected earnings growth: 1.9%
3. Expected valuation multiple change

11. Step 3: Determine a “Fair” Valuation
Multiple and Compute How This Will
Impact Future Returns
Nobody knows for sure what a business is “really” worth.
With that said, businesses are valued based on what “multiples” they trade
at. These valuation metrics are multiples of financial metrics like earnings,
book value, or free cash flow.
Companies tend to revert to their long-term average valuation multiples over
time.

12. Step 3: Determine a “Fair” Valuation
Multiple and Compute How This Will
Impact Future Returns
To see how valuation will impact future returns, compare a company’s
current valuation multiple against its long-term average.
Finding historical valuation data can be hard. Our favorite resource is Value
Line, which is expensive but often available for free at your public library.

14. Step 3: Determine a “Fair” Valuation
Multiple and Compute How This Will
Impact Future Returns
15-year average P/E: 20.9
Current P/E: 25.5

15. Step 3: Determine a “Fair” Valuation
Multiple and Compute How This Will
Impact Future Returns
If we assume that Coca-Cola’s price-to-earnings ratio will revert to the mean
over a 5-year period of time, we can calculate its impact on future returns
with the following math:

16. Step 3: Determine a “Fair” Valuation
Multiple and Compute How This Will
Impact Future Returns
If we assume that Coca-Cola’s price-to-earnings ratio will revert to the mean
over a 5-year period of time, we can calculate its impact on future returns
with the following math:
20.9

17. Step 3: Determine a “Fair” Valuation
Multiple and Compute How This Will
Impact Future Returns
If we assume that Coca-Cola’s price-to-earnings ratio will revert to the mean
over a 5-year period of time, we can calculate its impact on future returns
with the following math:
20.9
25.5

18. Step 3: Determine a “Fair” Valuation
Multiple and Compute How This Will
Impact Future Returns
If we assume that Coca-Cola’s price-to-earnings ratio will revert to the mean
over a 5-year period of time, we can calculate its impact on future returns
with the following math:
(
20.9
25.5
)(
1
5)

19. Step 3: Determine a “Fair” Valuation
Multiple and Compute How This Will
Impact Future Returns
If we assume that Coca-Cola’s price-to-earnings ratio will revert to the mean
over a 5-year period of time, we can calculate its impact on future returns
with the following math:
(
20.9
25.5
)(
1
5)
−1

20. Step 3: Determine a “Fair” Valuation
Multiple and Compute How This Will
Impact Future Returns
If we assume that Coca-Cola’s price-to-earnings ratio will revert to the mean
over a 5-year period of time, we can calculate its impact on future returns
with the following math:
(
20.9
25.5
)(
1
5)
−1 = −3.9%
You can change the mean reversion period if you’d like. The shorter the
period, the greater the impact it has on your expected total return
calculations

21. Putting It All Together
1. Dividend yield: 3.1%
2. Expected earnings growth: 1.9%
3. Expected valuation multiple change: -3.9%
Expected Total Return = 3.1% + 1.9% - 3.9% = 1.1%

22. Thanks For Watching!
Three homework items:
1. Perform you own expected total return calculations and email them to me
at nick@suredividend.com
2. Like this video and leave a comment
3. Subscribe to our channel (Sure Dividend) if you want to learn more about
investing in high-quality dividend growth stocks