The rise and rise of European dividend income

The importance of dividends cannot be understated when investing on a total return basis. As history shows over the past 20 years, around 40% of total returns for the European market is made up from dividends. In recent years, continental European companies have been attaching a higher priority than ever to dividend payments. This sea change makes European equity income investing more attractive than it was in the past. It is now a much more active area of discussion between investors and management than it was even three years ago. Shareholder power Shareholder activism within Euro...