If you strip out the passive income, Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES) shares will have just beaten the one-year performance of the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO).

Over the past 12 months, Wesfarmers shares have gained 3.8%, compared to a 2.4% gain posted by the benchmark index.

Now let’s add that passive income back into the equation.

The ASX 200 retail share paid two fully franked dividends over the past year, maintaining its long track record as a reliable income stock.

Wesfarmers’ board declared a final dividend of $1 per share, which hit stockholders’ bank accounts on 6 October.

Wesfarmers shares delivered an interim dividend of 88 cents per share, which was paid on 28 March.

The interim dividend was up a healthy 10% year on year. That was driven by a 14% increase in the company’s half-year profits, which reached $1.4 billion over the six months.

All told then, shareholders will have received $1.88 for every Wesfarmers share they hold.

At the current share price of $51.19, that works out to a trailing yield of 3.7%. Or $185 in passive income from a $5,000 investment at today’s price. With potential tax benefits from the franking credits.

The dividends also help boost the accumulated gain to 7.6% over the year.

But some ASX 200 investors will be earning significantly more passive income than others.

How much passive income might Wesfarmers shares have delivered?

Like most of the market, Wesfarmers shares tumbled to one-year lows in June.

At market close on 17 June, shares were changing hands for $41.66 apiece, having dropped more than 17% over the prior four weeks.

Now it would have taken a brave, or perhaps well-advised, investor to snap up $5,000 worth of shares on that day.

Indeed, buying a stock that’s been falling will often see you holding a stock that’s set to fall further.

But with the benefit of hindsight, we know that’s not the case for Wesfarmers shares.

If you’d bought on 17 June you would have been eligible for both of the retail company’s dividend payments.

At $41.66 per share that works out to a 4.5% yield. Or a very tidy $225 in passive income from your $5,000 investment.

Not to mention the 22.9% gain in the Wesfarmers share price since that low.

The post Hunting for passive income? Guess what you’re earning if you invested $5,000 in Wesfarmers shares last June appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Bernd Struben has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Wesfarmers. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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