The predictive ability of the dividend-price ratio for future stock returns does not necessarily imply that dividend-price ratios predict future stock prices. Stock returns consist of both a capital gain and a dividend yield component, and we show that predictability of stock returns by lagged...

Using a new variable based on a model of dividend smoothing, we find dividend growth is highly predictable and cash flow news contributes importantly to return variability. Cash flow betas derived from this predictability are central to explaining the size effect in the cross section of returns....