Technical discussion of free growth theory and corporate return metrics

Technical discussion of free growth theory and corporate return metrics The passage is an academic‑style analysis of dividend rates, market‑cap growth, and a proposed "free growth theory." It contains no specific names, transactions, dates, or allegations involving high‑profile individuals or institutions, offering only a generic methodological suggestion for further research. Key insights: Distinguishes between reported dividend rate and imputed dividend rate.; Defines free growth index as the ratio of annual change in reported return to annual change in market‑cap growth.; Suggests corporate bond data could be combined with equity data to assess sector‑wide leverage and total return.