That is an afterthought. The rise in stock price would be equal to the return on invested money, more dividends, higher stock price. Since that doesn't work, as Apple perfectly proved, the stock market trades in higher stock prices.
This is sort of a pyramid scheme though. People getting in late would need the company to keep growing and that is not possible in eternity, eventually the market will be saturated and the only thing left is dividends.
This is why companies that reach Apples point no longer sees incredible stock prices. Apple could keep up doing what they do and have great earnings, and the stock holders would live happily on dividends, but the market want growth as that has the promise of future dividends and drives stock prices, which is what the market trade in.
A company like Apple that is almost unbelievable profitable should be the share holders dream regardless of the growth, but as the stock market trades in the promise of future dividends, growth is what drives the stock price up.
This is completely inaccurate in every respect.