Yield

The income return on an investment, typically expressed as an annual percentage based on the investment's cost or current market value. For bonds, yield represents the interest payments relative to the price paid; for stocks, it refers to the dividend yield. Yield is one of the most fundamental concepts in finance because it allows comparison across vastly different asset classes -- a 4% Treasury yield, a 2% dividend yield, and a 6% real estate cap rate can all be evaluated on a common basis.