The correct answer is A. expected growth rate.
The expected growth rate is the rate of growth that investors expect a company’s dividends to grow at in the future. It is based on a variety of factors, including the company’s historical growth rate, its current financial condition, and its future prospects.
The annual growth rate is the rate of growth that a company’s dividends have actually grown at in the past year. It is calculated by dividing the current dividend by the dividend from one year ago and then multiplying by 100.
The past growth rate is the rate of growth that a company’s dividends have actually grown at over a period of time, such as five years or ten years. It is calculated by dividing the current dividend by the dividend from five or ten years ago and then multiplying by 100.
The unexpected growth rate is the difference between the expected growth rate and the actual growth rate. It is a measure of how well a company has met or exceeded investor expectations.