If we look at Apple, it's a great stock, and it has done very well . Warren Buffett was also selling, but you don't look at investing from a stock market perspective. We look at investment from a business ownership perspective.
Well, Apple's earnings are $127 billion, and we have to adjust for stock-based compensation, which means about $150 billion because they spend that on stock. They could give you dividends worth 115 billion if they distributed all the money.
Then there is the growth aspect. How will this amount of 150 billion grow over time? That is your reward as an owner. That's all . Then compare that to the price-to-earnings ratio.
The dividend yield is 2.7% plus , I don't know what the growth will be, maybe 5% on average, and then that might be your long-term return.