Final answer:
The average of 'stockdiv/stockprice' multiplied by 100 represents the dividend yield for each nation's stock, reflecting the annual dividends in percentage terms of the stock price. Historical trends indicate a decline in dividend yields from about 4% down to 1-2% since the 1990s, stressing the shift towards greater capital gains over dividends as part of total returns.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question pertains to calculating the average rate of stock dividends in relation to the stock price (often called the dividend yield) for each nation after joining with the stock table. To calculate this, one would take the average of 'stockdiv/stockprice' multiplied by 100 for each nation. This average is an indicator of the dividend payout in relation to the stock price, which is an aspect of the total return of an investment in stocks. Historical data indicates that dividend yields fluctuated across decades, with the 1950s to 1980s maintaining around a 4% dividend yield, while the 1990s onwards experienced a considerable drop to about 1% to 2%. Factors affecting this include changes in dividend payout policies and variations in stock price movements.
For example, using the provided historical context, if a stock's dividend (stockdiv) is $2 and the stock price (stockprice) is $100, the dividend yield would be calculated as ($2/$100) * 100 = 2%. Averaging this yield across all the stocks in each nation, after the necessary data has been joined, would provide the average dividend yield per nation.
It is important to note that the total annual rate of return from investing in stocks includes both the dividend yield and capital gains from the increase in stock value, but due to technicalities in calculation, these do not sum up exactly to the total return.