# Best way to show cash dividends **URL:** \ **Category:** Sharesight features\ **Created:** [10 November 2024 02:36 UTC](https://community.sharesight.com/t/best-way-to-show-cash-dividends/1693 "2024-11-10T02:36:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![grege](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ccd318/32.png) [@grege](https://community.sharesight.com/u/grege)\ **Post date:** [10 November 2024 02:36 UTC](https://community.sharesight.com/t/best-way-to-show-cash-dividends/1693/1 "2024-11-10T02:36:22Z")
Hi, I’m new to Sharesight. Loading in some old investments - stocks with dividends, and funds with distributions. I’ve generally taken the payouts as cash, but re-invested (DRP) some stocks. Sharesight has gathered the correct dividend/distribution info nicely. But I’m wondering about the best way to show the total return on the cash-payout ones. I can just pretend I DRP’ed them, that could be close enough (except current value would be wrong). I may be missing something obvious. Any thoughts very welcome. ---
**Author:** ![RickyYeo](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sharesight/user_avatar/community.sharesight.com/rickyyeo/32/854_2.png) [@RickyYeo](https://community.sharesight.com/u/RickyYeo)\ **Post date:** [13 November 2024 00:07 UTC](https://community.sharesight.com/t/best-way-to-show-cash-dividends/1693/2 "2024-11-13T00:07:46Z")
Hi @grege do you mean dividend return excluding those that got reinvested? There isn’t an easy way to separate and calculate that return though. ---
**Author:** ![grege](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ccd318/32.png) [@grege](https://community.sharesight.com/u/grege)\ **Post date:** [13 November 2024 01:22 UTC](https://community.sharesight.com/t/best-way-to-show-cash-dividends/1693/3 "2024-11-13T01:22:06Z")
Hi, thanks for responding. I’ve done more reading now, into Sharesight’s handling of Dividends/Distributions, and DRP facilities. Am I correct that, without activating the DRP facility, all Dividends/Distributions are handled as cash payouts ? So no compounding effect happens ? Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![RickyYeo](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sharesight/user_avatar/community.sharesight.com/rickyyeo/32/854_2.png) [@RickyYeo](https://community.sharesight.com/u/RickyYeo)\ **Post date:** [13 November 2024 01:26 UTC](https://community.sharesight.com/t/best-way-to-show-cash-dividends/1693/4 "2024-11-13T01:26:33Z")
Hi @grege welcome to Sharesight! Yes you’re right. There won’t be any compounding if you don’t setup the auto DRP (excluding all the market buys). Generally you’ll see a higher return with reinvestment (if you benchmark against the same holding) than without, when the price gradually goes up over time. ---
**Author:** ![grege](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ccd318/32.png) [@grege](https://community.sharesight.com/u/grege)\ **Post date:** [13 November 2024 03:14 UTC](https://community.sharesight.com/t/best-way-to-show-cash-dividends/1693/5 "2024-11-13T03:14:55Z")
Thanks. I’m enjoying switching to Sharesight, I haven’t used a comprehensive Investments Tracker before, it adds a layer of insight and indeed fun into the exercise. I might put a dummy investment of VAS.AX and VHY.AX into the Portfolio to see what I’m achieving, if anything. Thanks for responding. ---
**Author:** ![tjunkie](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sharesight/user_avatar/community.sharesight.com/tjunkie/32/992_2.png) [@tjunkie](https://community.sharesight.com/u/tjunkie)\ **Post date:** [3 July 2025 06:50 UTC](https://community.sharesight.com/t/best-way-to-show-cash-dividends/1693/6 "2025-07-03T06:50:03Z")
It would be nice if can can view our total dividend on a year to year basis in the report