How do I invest in German dividend stocks?

An investment in high-dividend-yielding stocks is a solid investment. Dividends are usually paid by profitable and established companies. For investors seeking regular income in times of low interest rates, dividend stocks can provide attractive yields.

There are two main indices available to invest with ETFs in German high-dividend equities. This Investment Guide for German dividend stocks will help you navigate between the peculiarities of the DivDAX® index and the DAXplus® Maximum Dividend index as well as the ETFs that track them. It will allow you to find the most suitable ETFs for you by ranking them according to your preferences.

The best German dividend ETF by 1-year fund return as of 30.11.24

All German dividend ETFs ranked by fund return

The largest German dividend ETF by fund size in EUR

All German dividend ETFs ranked by fund size

The cheapest German dividend ETF by total expense ratio

All German dividend ETFs ranked by total expense ratio

DivDax® vs. DAXplus Maximum Dividend®

Source: justETF Research; as of 28/02/22

DivDax® index: The 15 best dividend stocks in the DAX® index

The DivDax® index contains the 15 companies with the highest dividend yield of all 40 DAX® companies. Stock selection is based on the historical dividend yield, the last dividend paid in relation to the stock price on the distribution date. The index is weighted by free-float market capitalisation.

Methodology of the DivDAX® Factsheet Methodology

• 15 DAX® stocks with the highest dividend yield
• Index rebalancing takes place annually in September
• Stock selection is based on historical dividend yield
• Index weighted by free-float market capitalisation
• Maximum weight per constituent is 10%

DAXplus® Maximum Dividend index: The 25 best dividend stocks in the HDAX® index

The DAXplus® Maximum Dividend index focuses on stocks' expected dividends. This index only includes companies that will pay a dividend in the next six months. Theoretically, it is possible that on the rebalancing date all companies in the index are replaced.

The selection universe of the DAXplus® Maximum Dividend index consists of all companies included in DAX®, MDAX® and TecDAX®. These three benchmark indices are summarised in the HDAX® index. In the DAXplus® Maximum Dividend index, the selected stocks are weighted according to their expected dividend yield, which is calculated on the basis of the closing price of the shares at the time of selection.

Methodology of the DAXplus® Maximum Dividend Factsheet Methodology

• 25 stocks with the highest dividend yield from the HDAX® index
• Prerequisite: ranked among the largest 75 percent and the most liquid 65 percent of all companies in the HDAX®
• The HDAX® includes all companies in the DAX®, MDAX® and TecDAX®
• Index rebalancing takes place semi-annually in May and November
• Stock selection is based on companies that pay a dividend in the next 6 months and have the highest expected dividend yield, as calculated on the basis of the closing price on the reporting date
• Index weighted according to expected dividend yield
• Maximum weight per constituent is 10%

When choosing a German dividend ETF one should consider several other factors in addition to the methodology of the underlying index and performance of an ETF. For better comparison, you will find a list of all German dividend ETFs with details on size, cost, age, income, domicile and replication method ranked by fund size.

Compare all German dividend ETFs in detail
Compare all German dividend ETFs in a chart

Source: justETF.com; As of 21.12.24

Return comparison of all German dividend ETFs

The table shows the returns of all German dividend ETFs in comparison. All return figures are including dividends as of month end. Besides the return the reference date on which you conduct the comparison is important. In order to find the best ETFs, you can also perform a chart comparison.

• Cumulative
• Calendar year

Source: justETF.com; As of 30.11.24; Calculations in EUR including dividends