Buying stock is most often associated with a rise in the price of the shares (buy low…sell high)…however, there is the matter of a dividend that some firms payout to shareholders. So, do you consider the dividend in/with your selection of stocks? Are there mutual funds that ‘cater to’/emphasize dividend paying stocks? Also, ‘where’ does the dividend originate from, and, ‘who’ decides if a dividend is/will be forthcoming.