Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL) shares were floated on the Aussie bourse in November 2018 following the company's spin out from Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES).
Fortunately, those who bought into the supermarket operator soon after its ASX float have been well rewarded.
A $1,000 investment likely would have bought 86 Coles shares at $11.61 apiece four years ago.
Today, that parcel would be worth $1,454.26. The Coles share price is currently trading at $16.91 – marking a 45% gain over the period.
For comparison, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has lifted 28% in that time.
And on top of Coles shares' strong performance, the company has been offering dividends. Here's how much passive income a long-term shareholder has received from the supermarket operator.
How much have Coles shares paid in dividends in 10 years?
Here are all the dividends Coles has offered since it listed:
| Coles dividends' pay date | Type | Dividend amount |
| September 2022 | Final | 30 cents |
| March 2022 | Interim | 33 cents |
| September 2021 | Final | 28 cents |
| March 2021 | Interim | 33 cents |
| September 2020 | Final | 27.5 cents |
| March 2020 | Interim | 30 cents |
| September 2019 | Final | 24 cents |
| September 2019 | Special | 11.5 cents |
| Total: | $2.17 |
Coles shares have paid out $2.17 in dividends over their listed life. That means our figurative investment would have yielded $186.62 in dividend income.
That also brings the total return offered by the ASX 200 stock since December 2018 to a notable 64% – not too shabby for just four years!
Of course, an investor would likely be even better off if they'd compounded their returns by reinvesting their dividend income, perhaps through Coles' dividend reinvestment plan (DRP).
Additionally, all payments handed out by the company in its listed life have been fully franked. That means they might have brought about extra benefits at tax time.
Right now, Coles shares are trading with a 3.9% dividend yield.
