4 Dividend Darlings  By Investopedia Staff | June 25, 2012 AAA
Any long-term investor can appreciate the value of a dividend.
Over time, the dividend becomes a bigger factor in the total
return of an investment. Mathematically speaking, assume a share
of stock is bought for $10 and yields 3%. Five years later the
shares trade for $20 and yield the same 3% due to increased
dividend payments. For the investor who purchased shares at $10,
her effective yield is now 6%. Over the course of 10 years or
more, the dividend effect on your portfolio becomes truly
significant.   Dividends Matter Dividends do matter but only
when they can be counted on to be paid consistently. Often, an
abnormally high yield is a market signal that a dividend may be
temporary. Yet the market is not always right. During the
recession, quality energy master limited partnerships were
yielding 15% and up because investors were selling shares as the
price of oil and natural gas were declining (dividend yields
rise when stock prices decline a