Dividend
A dividend is a portion of a company's profit paid directly to its , usually in cash, on a regular schedule. It's one of the most direct ways a business returns value to its owners, cash landing straight in an investor's account without them needing to sell any shares.
Not every company pays one. Established, stable businesses with predictable cash flow, utilities, consumer staples, mature industrials, tend to pay dividends regularly. Fast-growing companies more often reinvest all their profit back into the business instead, since expanding the business itself can create more value than paying cash out today.
A dividend isn't guaranteed. A company can reduce or eliminate it at any time, and doing so usually sends a strong negative signal to the market, since dividends create an expectation of continuity that's hard to walk back without raising real concern about the business.