In trading on Wednesday, shares of Alexander’s were yielding above the 8% mark based on its quarterly dividend (annualized to $18), with the stock changing hands as low as $224.25 on the day. Dividends are particularly important for investors to consider, because historically speaking dividends have provided a considerable share of the stock market's total return. To illustrate, suppose for example you purchased shares of the iShares Russell 3000 ETF (IWV) back on 5/31/2000 — you would have paid $78.27 per ...