Did you invest in South32 Ltd (ASX: S32) shares when the company split from BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) to float on the ASX in 2015? If you did, you've nearly doubled your money.
South32 was spun out of the iron ore giant in 2015, taking many of its alumina, aluminium, coal, manganese, nickel, silver, lead, and zinc assets with it.
As part of the demerger, BHP investors were offered one share in South32 for every share they held in BHP.
South32's first day on the ASX saw its stock closing at $2.05. Nearly eight years later, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) mining share was trading for $4.58 apiece as of yesterday's close – representing a 123% gain.
That means $1,000 invested in May 2015 would today be worth around $2,230.46.
But what about the dividends handed out by the now-mining giant over its listed life? Let's take a look.
All dividends offered to those holding South32 shares
Here are all the dividends paid to those invested in South32 shares since it listed, rounded to the nearest tenth of a cent:
| Suncorp dividends' pay date | Type | Dividend amount |
| October 2022 | Final and special | 20.7 cents and 4.4 cents |
| April 2022 | Interim | 11.9 cents |
| October 2021 | Final and special | 4.8 cents and 2.7 cents |
| April 2021 | Interim | 1.8 cents |
| October 2020 | Final | 1.4 cents |
| April 2020 | Interim | 3.3 cents |
| October 2019 | Final | 4.1 cents |
| April 2019 | Interim | 9.6 cents |
| October 2018 | Final | 8.7 cents |
| April 2018 | Interim | 9 cents |
| October 2017 | Final | 8 cents |
| April 2017 | Interim | 4.8 cents |
| October 2016 | Final | 1.3 cents |
| Total: | 96.5 cents |
As readers can see, each South32 share has yielded 69.5 cents of dividends over its life. That means our figurative $1,000 parcel has likely brought in $338.465 of passive income.
Considering both the payouts and the South32 share price's gains, investors have seen a return on investment (ROI) of 157%.
And that's before considering the franking credits that have come with nearly all the ASX 200 company's dividends. They could have brought tax benefits for some investors.
Further, reinvesting the payouts could have seen an investor compound their returns further.
South32 shares currently trade with a 7.1% dividend yield.
Looking forward, the company's next dividend will be worth 4.9 US cents and will be paid in early April.
