Invested $12,000 in Whitehaven shares 5 years ago? Here's how much passive income you've earned

Bought Whitehaven Coal Ltd (ASX: WHC) shares in 2018? You're likely pretty happy with your investment – now.

The coal stock has been on a roll as of late. However, the last five years haven't been all sunshine.

It plunged more than 80% between May 2018 and September 2020 alongside coal prices. But all that turned around as activities kicked off again in the wake of the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The black rock's value surged again as Russia invaded Ukraine. Sanctions imposed on Russian coal and fears of a European energy crunch bolstered demand for coal, sending its price to a record high in 2022.

Of course, that benefited Whitehaven's earnings and shares (and dividends, as readers will soon see).

An investor buying $12,000 worth of the coal producer's stock in May 2018 likely would have walked away with 2,542 shares, paying $4.72 apiece.

Today, that holding would be worth $18,353. The Whitehaven share price has gained 53% over the last five years to reach $7.22.

For comparison, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has risen 20% in that time.

But what about the passive income offered to our figurative Whitehaven investor? Let's take a look.

All dividends paid to those holding Whitehaven shares since 2018

Here are all the dividends paid to those holding shares in Whitehaven over the last five years:

As the chart above shows, each Whitehaven share has yielded $1.585 in dividends since May 2018.

That means our figurative parcel has likely brought in $4,029 of passive income over its life.

It also brings our total return on investment (ROI), considering both share price gains and dividends, to an impressive 86%.

Just imagine the returns one might have realised had they reinvested their dividends, thereby compounding their gains.

And the party isn't over for the passive income-providing stock. Whitehaven shares trade with a 9.97% dividend yield right now.