Results and metrics

After a forecast runs, the results panel collects every figure in one place: milestone income tiles, a per-holding breakdown, an income trajectory table, a monthly payment schedule, a dividend safety analysis, and a payment calendar. This page explains each component and how to read every metric. The Dividend Forecaster is available on Pro Lite and Pro.

Before you begin

Run a forecast first. For the steps, see Run your first forecast.
To see the reinvestment columns in the breakdown table, run with reinvestment on.

Quickstart

After a run, scroll the results panel from top to bottom. The income tiles give the headline numbers, the tables give the per-holding detail, and the calendar shows when the income arrives. Select Back to setup to change inputs and run again.

What it shows

The results panel has six components, documented in the following sections.

Projected dividend income (summary tiles)

A row of milestone tiles sits at the top of the results: Today, Year 1, Year 5 (shown when the horizon is at least 5 years), and the final year of your horizon. Each tile shows the projected annual dividend income and the after-tax monthly equivalent below it. The Year 5 and final-year tiles also show the percent growth versus today.

Read this row for the headline numbers: where your income starts and where it ends up.

Stock breakdown (per-holding table)

A sortable table with one row per holding. The columns are:

Stock: the ticker.
Shares: your current or input share count.
Current div: the current annual dividend per share.
Yield: the current dividend yield, dividend per share over price.
Growth: the annualized dividend growth rate used in the projection.
Frequency: how often the company pays (monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, or annual).
Current income: today's annual income from the position.
Year N div: the projected dividend per share at the end of the horizon.

When reinvestment is on, two more columns appear: Year N shares, the projected share count including reinvested shares, and YoC year N, the yield on cost, which is the future dividend per share over your original cost basis. A final Year N income column shows the projected annual income from each position, and a Total row sums the summable columns.

Sort by any header to rank holdings. Read this table to see which holdings drive your income and how each one grows.

Stock income trajectory (per-holding contribution table)

A sortable table showing how each holding's share of total income shifts over the horizon. The columns are Stock, Current, Year 1, Year 5 (when applicable), Year N, and Change. Each income cell shows the dollar amount plus the percent of total portfolio income it represents. The Change column shows the total percent change in that holding's income from today through the final year, with an up arrow for strong growth and a down arrow for strong decline.

Small icons flag holdings that make up an outsized share of income and holdings with exceptionally large moves; a legend explains the icons. Below the table, a Top movers panel lists standout growers and holdings to watch. A Top-3 concentration readout shows what share of income comes from your three largest contributors today against the end of the horizon, with a note on whether concentration is rising or falling.

Read this table to understand income concentration and which names do the heavy lifting.

Monthly payment schedule (calendar grid)

A grid with one row per holding and one column per month (J through D), plus an Annual column. A cell is highlighted and shows a dollar amount in the months that holding is expected to pay. Empty months show a dash. A Total row at the bottom sums every holding's payment for each month and for the year.

Read this grid to spot months with light payment density and to plan holdings with complementary schedules for smoother monthly income.

Dividend safety analysis (per-holding safety read)

A section that scores how sustainable each holding's dividend looks. At the top, a portfolio-level summary shows the average safety score on a 0-to-100 scale, plus a count of holdings that read as Safe, a count that read as Monitor, and the average dividend growth across holdings.

Below that, each holding gets a row with a tier label (Safe, OK, Risk, or N/A), its safety score out of 100, an estimated cut-risk reading, a short plain-language assessment, and a colored bar visualizing the score.

The safety score is one of GNG's proprietary measures. It weighs high-level inputs such as payout ratio, dividend growth history, earnings stability, and debt levels into a single 0-to-100 read. Higher means more sustainable and lower cut risk. The way those inputs are weighted and the score boundaries that set each label are proprietary and are not published. For more on the safety read, see How it works.

Payment calendar (month-by-month view)

A monthly view of estimated after-tax dividend income for one selected year, laid out as a 12-month grid. Each month shows the after-tax income (large) and the gross figure below it. The current month is marked Now, and past months in the current year are dimmed. Months that run notably above or below the year's average are flagged with an up or down arrow and a vs avg percentage. A header line shows the year's annual total and average monthly income, and a year selector switches the projected year.

Read this view to see when your income clusters across the year.

Inputs

The results take no separate input. They reflect the forecast you ran. The only controls are the sort headers on the tables, the year selectors, and the gross-against-after-tax toggle.

Outputs and how to read them

Three figures in the results are worth reading carefully: the yield, the yield on cost, and the per-payment amount in the schedule.

Dividend yield

The yield is the current annual dividend per share as a percentage of the current price. It tells you the income rate the stock pays at today's price.

yield % = annual dividend per share / price × 100

In this formula, annual dividend per share is the current annual dividend in US dollars and price is the current share price in US dollars. For example, an annual dividend of 3.00 at a price of 75.00 gives 3.00 divided by 75.00, times 100, which is a 4.00 percent yield. The figure moves with price, so it changes between data refreshes.

Yield on cost

The yield on cost (shown when reinvestment is on) measures a future year's dividend per share against the price you originally paid. It shows how much your starting cost basis earns once dividends have grown.

yield on cost % = future dividend per share / original cost per share × 100

Here future dividend per share is the projected dividend per share at the end of the horizon in US dollars, and original cost per share is the price you paid in US dollars. For example, a future dividend of 6.00 against an original cost of 50.00 gives 6.00 divided by 50.00, times 100, which is a 12.00 percent yield on cost. This grows over the horizon as the projected dividend rises, while the cost basis stays fixed.

Per-payment amount

The schedule splits each holding's annual income across its payment dates. The per-payment amount is the income each individual payment delivers.

per-payment amount = annual income / payments per year

In this formula, annual income is the holding's projected annual income in US dollars, and payments per year is the count of payments based on its frequency: 12 for monthly, 4 for quarterly, 2 for semi-annual, or 1 for annual. For example, an annual income of 480 paid quarterly gives 480 divided by 4, which is 120 per payment. The schedule places that amount in the months the holding is expected to pay.

How it is calculated

The summary tiles, tables, and calendar all read from the same projection. Each holding's dividend is grown forward year by year from its own history; with reinvestment on, each projected dividend buys more shares and compounds. The safety score is computed per holding and summarized at the portfolio level. The growth-rate limits, safety-score weighting, and simulation internals are part of GNG's proprietary methodology. For the full walkthrough, see How it works.

Data and timing

The projection is built from each holding's dividend history and payment frequency, delivered through AlphaVantage. Prices used for yield are end-of-day prices delivered through AlphaVantage from Nasdaq. The results refresh when you run or re-run a forecast.

Use cases

Read the milestone tiles for the start-to-finish income story in one row.
Sort the breakdown table to find the holdings that contribute the most income.
Watch the top-3 concentration readout to see whether your income leans on too few names.
Use the safety analysis to separate dividends that look secure from those that deserve a closer look.

Limitations and disclosures

The projection grows each holding's dividend from its own history. Companies can raise, freeze, or cut dividends in ways history does not predict. The safety read is an estimate, not a forecast of any specific cut. After-tax figures use the single flat rate you set.

GNG Research provides equity research and educational tools, not investment advice. Nothing on the platform is a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Do your own research and consider your circumstances before making any investment decision.