Preferred stock investment returns
To figure the raw return on your initial investment of preferred stock, subtract the price you paid for the shares from the current price. Then, add the dividends you received per share you bought. Finally, multiply the result by the number of shares you bought to figure the raw return. What is a preferred return? A preferred return is a profit distribution preference whereby profits, either from operations, sale, or refinance, are distributed to one class of equity before another until a certain rate of return on the initial investment is reached. The pref is stated as a percentage, such as an 8% cumulative return on initial investment; however, it can also be stated as a certain equity multiple.