Bought $1,000 of Qantas shares 10 years ago? Here's how much dividend income you've received

The last decade has been volatile for Qantas' dividends.

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Key points
  • The Qantas share price has outperformed over the last decade, gaining nearly 290% to close Friday's session at $6.11
  • But income-focused investors might have been left disappointed by the airline 
  • The stock only offered dividends between 2016 and 2020

The Qantas Airways Limited (ASX: QAN) share price has had a turbulent existence on the ASX over the last decade.

The national carrier was hit hard by the global financial crisis, only managing to regain its footing a few years before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Still, long-term investors have likely been happy with their holding. The Qantas share price has taken off over the last decade, lifting a whopping 287% since 28 December 2012.

Back then, $1,000 likely would have seen an investor buy 632 shares in the airline, paying $1.58 apiece.

Today, that parcel would command a value of $3,861.52. The Qantas share price closed Friday's session at $6.11.

For comparison, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has lifted around 55% over the last 10 years.

Less fortuitous have been dividend-focused Qantas investors. Here's how much passive income a long-term shareholder has likely received from the airline share.

Adult man wearing a black suit and necktie calculating via old fashioned calculator, surrounded by newspapers.

Image source: Getty Images

How much have Qantas shares paid in dividends in 10 years?

Here are all the dividends Qantas has offered since December 2012:

Qantas dividends' pay dateTypeDividend amount
September 2019Final13 cents
March 2019Interim12 cents
October 2018Final10 cents
April 2018Interim7 cents
October 2017Final7 cents
April 2017Interim7 cents
October 2016Final7 cents
Total: 63 cents

As the above chart alludes, Qantas didn't pay dividends between 2009 and 2016. It then halted its offerings amid the emergence of the pandemic.

Meanwhile, the company hasn't operated in the green since the financial year 2020, wherein its underlying profits tumbled 91%.

Over the last decade, Qantas shares have paid out 63 cents per share to investors.

That means our figurative $1,000 investment would have yielded $398.16 in dividend income over its life. That's on top of a significant capital gain.

Long-term investors also likely benefited from a capital return – worth $505 million, equalling 23 cents per share – undergone by Qantas in 2015, as well as numerous on-market share buybacks conducted over the years.

And there's apparently good news on Qantas' horizon. The airline expects to return to profit in the first half of financial year 2023.

Motley Fool contributor Brooke Cooper has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia's parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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