The correct answer is: C. the sum of expected dividends and capital gains.
Expected return is the average return that an investor expects to earn on an investment over a given period of time. It is calculated by taking the expected dividend payments and capital gains and adding them together.
Dividend payments are the cash payments that a company makes to its shareholders. Capital gains are the profits that an investor makes when they sell an investment for more than they paid for it.
The expected return is an estimate of the future return, and it is not guaranteed. The actual return that an investor earns may be higher or lower than the expected return.
Option A is incorrect because it only considers dividend payments. Option B is incorrect because it only considers capital gains. Option D is incorrect because the expected return is not necessarily less than the realized return.