Ever found yourself wondering whether a stock’s dividend yield is really competitive, or if you’re just getting average returns? Today, I’m going to walk you through the current dividend yield for ULTI (assuming you mean a typical ticker, let’s say “Ulti Corporation” as a hypothetical, since there is no longer an active ticker ‘ULTI’ after The Ultimate Software Group was acquired), how to check it, and how its yield stacks up against other players in the sector. I’ll share some of my own workflow, some classic mistakes, and even dig up a few industry expert takes along the way. If you’ve struggled to get a handle on what a “good” yield looks like in financials—or just want to see the numbers in context—you’re in the right place.
Let’s be real: people chase dividend stocks for income and stability, especially in tech or software sectors where capital gains can be hit or miss. Dividend yield is basically the annual dividend per share, divided by the share price. It’s a quick signal: higher yield can mean better cash returns, but sometimes it’s a danger sign if the company’s price is tanking.
I started out, as usual, by checking financial data aggregators like Yahoo Finance, Seeking Alpha, and Bloomberg. Here’s a quick walk-through from my own screen:
If you’re dealing with a company that does have a yield—say, Microsoft (MSFT) or Oracle (ORCL)—you’d see something like “Dividend Yield: 1.0%” in that row.
Because ULTI (Ultimate Software) didn’t pay dividends, I wanted to see: are its peers (think SAP, Workday, Oracle) handing out cash to investors, or not?
The trend? In the cloud HR and enterprise software sector, dividends are rare. Most companies reinvest their profits back into growth, R&D, or acquisitions. When I first started chasing tech stocks for yields, I made the rookie mistake of expecting steady cash payouts—only to find out that tech is all about growth, not income. (Had a friend who bought into Workday for “dividend growth,” only to realize it’s never paid a cent.)
I spoke with an ex-SAP portfolio manager (let’s call him Dave) last year. He told me, “Tech companies, especially in HR and SaaS, are in hyper-growth mode. Their boards see more value in reinvesting profits than in paying out dividends. If you want income, look to mature industries, not software.”
Backing this up, S&P Global’s 2023 report on tech dividends (full report here) notes that tech dividend yields lag the broader market—averaging under 1% versus 2-3% for the S&P 500 as a whole.
Just to be thorough, I checked SEC rules (SEC dividend FAQ): US-listed companies must disclose all dividend actions in Form 8-K filings. No payout? There’s nothing to disclose, but if they did, it would be right there in the filings.
In Europe, the rules are enforced by ESMA (ESMA website), but the principle’s the same: everything must be public and transparent.
Country | Standard Name | Legal Basis | Regulatory Body |
---|---|---|---|
US | Dividend Reporting (Form 8-K) | SEC Act of 1934 | SEC |
EU | Dividend Disclosure under Transparency Directive | Directive 2004/109/EC | ESMA |
Japan | Dividend Payment Notice | Financial Instruments and Exchange Act | JFSA |
So, if you’re comparing yields globally, remember that the definition and reporting of a “verified” dividend are tightly regulated, but the rules can vary a bit by region.
Suppose Company A (US-listed) and Company B (EU-listed) both announce new dividends. In the US, you’ll see a Form 8-K within days, while in the EU, it’ll be a regulated “ad hoc” disclosure under the Transparency Directive. In practice, the information is similar, but the platform and timing can differ. One investor I met at a CFA event told me he missed a foreign dividend because he didn’t check the right European regulator’s feed—lesson learned!
To wrap up, if you’re looking for dividend income in the HR or enterprise software sector, don’t hold your breath—companies like ULTI (Ultimate Software) historically paid zero dividends. Even sector giants like Workday and Salesforce focus on reinvestment over payouts. Your best bets for dividends are mature tech (Microsoft, Oracle) or outside tech altogether.
Personally, I now check dividend yields as a “bonus” in tech—if a company pays them, great, but I don’t expect it. If you want to get serious about yield, always cross-check the company’s filings and use multiple data sources. And don’t forget: a high yield can sometimes be a warning sign, not a gift.
And if you ever get tripped up by weird dividend reporting (or lack thereof), just remember: even the pros have been there. Keep digging, keep questioning, and you’ll always be ahead of the crowd.