But now consider that you collected a whopping $23.90 per share in dividends over the same period, increasing your return to 21.15%. Even with dividends reinvested, that only amounts to an average annual total return of about 1.7%; so by comparison collecting a yield above 3% would appear considerably attractive if that yield is sustainable. Air Products & Chemicals, Inc. ( NYSE: APD ) is an S&P 500 company, giving it special status as one of the large-cap companies making up the S&P 500 Index. In general, dividend amounts are not always predictable and tend to follow the ups and downs of profitability at each company. In the case of Air Products & Chemicals, Inc., looking at the history chart for APD below can help in judging whether the most recent dividend is likely to continue, and in turn whether it is a reasonable expectation to expect a 3% annual yield.