The model uses the fact that the current value of the dividend payment D 0 ( 1 + g ) t {\displaystyle D_{0}(1+g)^{t}} at (discrete) time t {\displaystyle t} is D 0 ( 1 + g ) t ( 1 + r ) t {\displaystyle {\frac {D_{0}(1+g)^{t}}{{(1+r)}^{t}}}} , and so the current value of all the future dividend payments, which is the current price P {\displaystyle P} , is the sum of the infinite series
This summation can be rewritten as
where
The series in parentheses is the geometric series with common ratio r ′ {\displaystyle r'} so it sums to 1 1 − r ′ {\displaystyle {\frac {1}{1-r'}}} if ∣ r ′ ∣< 1 {\displaystyle \mid r'\mid <1} . Thus,
Substituting the value for r ′ {\displaystyle r'} leads to
which is simplified by multiplying by 1 + r 1 + r {\displaystyle {\frac {1+r}{1+r}}} , so that
The DDM equation can also be understood to state simply that a stock's total return equals the sum of its income and capital gains.
So the dividend yield ( D 1 / P 0 ) {\displaystyle (D_{1}/P_{0})} plus the growth ( g ) {\displaystyle (g)} equals cost of equity ( r ) {\displaystyle (r)} .
Consider the dividend growth rate in the DDM model as a proxy for the growth of earnings and by extension the stock price and capital gains. Consider the DDM's cost of equity capital as a proxy for the investor's required total return.5
From the first equation, one might notice that r − g {\displaystyle r-g} cannot be negative. When growth is expected to exceed the cost of equity in the short run, then usually a two-stage DDM is used:
Therefore,
where g {\displaystyle g} denotes the short-run expected growth rate, g ∞ {\displaystyle g_{\infty }} denotes the long-run growth rate, and N {\displaystyle N} is the period (number of years), over which the short-run growth rate is applied.
Even when g is very close to r, P approaches infinity, so the model becomes meaningless.
a) When the growth g is zero, the dividend is capitalized.
b) This equation is also used to estimate the cost of capital by solving for r {\displaystyle r} .
c) which is equivalent to the formula of the Gordon Growth Model (or Yield-plus-growth Model):
where “ P 0 {\displaystyle P_{0}} ” stands for the present stock value, “ D 1 {\displaystyle D_{1}} ” stands for expected dividend per share one year from the present time, “g” stands for rate of growth of dividends, and “k” represents the required return rate for the equity investor.
The following shortcomings have been noted; See also Discounted cash flow § Shortcomings.
The dividend discount model does not include projected cash flow from the sale of the stock at the end of the investment time horizon. A related approach, known as a discounted cash flow analysis, can be used to calculate the intrinsic value of a stock including both expected future dividends and the expected sale price at the end of the holding period. If the intrinsic value exceeds the stock’s current market price, the stock is an attractive investment.6
Bodie, Zvi; Kane, Alex; Marcus, Alan (2010). Essentials of Investments (eighth ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Irwin. p. 399. ISBN 978-0-07-338240-1.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) 978-0-07-338240-1 ↩
Investopedia – Digging Into The Dividend Discount Model http://www.investopedia.com/articles/fundamental/04/041404.asp ↩
Gordon, M.J and Eli Shapiro (1956) "Capital Equipment Analysis: The Required Rate of Profit," Management Science, 3,(1) (October 1956) 102-110. Reprinted in Management of Corporate Capital, Glencoe, Ill.: Free Press of, 1959. ↩
Gordon, Myron J. (1959). "Dividends, Earnings and Stock Prices". Review of Economics and Statistics. 41 (2). The MIT Press: 99–105. doi:10.2307/1927792. JSTOR 1927792. /wiki/Doi_(identifier) ↩
"Spreadsheet for variable inputs to Gordon Model". Archived from the original on 2019-03-22. Retrieved 2011-12-28. https://web.archive.org/web/20190322151033/http://www.retailinvestor.org/perpetuity.xls ↩
Bodie, Zvi; Kane, Alex; Marcus, Alla (2010). Essentials of Investments (eighth ed.). New York NY: McGraw-Hill Irwin. pp. 397–400. ISBN 978-0-07-338240-1.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) 978-0-07-338240-1 ↩