Back to top

Image: Bigstock

M&T Bank Corporation (MTB) is a Top Dividend Stock Right Now: Should You Buy?

Read MoreHide Full Article

All investors love getting big returns from their portfolio, whether it's through stocks, bonds, ETFs, or other types of securities. But when you're an income investor, your primary focus is generating consistent cash flow from each of your liquid investments.

Cash flow can come from bond interest, interest from other types of investments, and of course, dividends. A dividend is the distribution of a company's earnings paid out to shareholders; it's often viewed by its dividend yield, a metric that measures a dividend as a percent of the current stock price. Many academic studies show that dividends account for significant portions of long-term returns, with dividend contributions exceeding one-third of total returns in many cases.

M&T Bank Corporation in Focus

Headquartered in Buffalo, M&T Bank Corporation (MTB - Free Report) is a Finance stock that has seen a price change of 19.88% so far this year. Currently paying a dividend of $1.2 per share, the company has a dividend yield of 2.61%. In comparison, the Banks - Major Regional industry's yield is 3.84%, while the S&P 500's yield is 1.76%.

Looking at dividend growth, the company's current annualized dividend of $4.80 is up 6.7% from last year. In the past five-year period, M&T Bank Corporation has increased its dividend 3 times on a year-over-year basis for an average annual increase of 8.92%. Looking ahead, future dividend growth will be dependent on earnings growth and payout ratio, which is the proportion of a company's annual earnings per share that it pays out as a dividend. Right now, M&T Bank Corporation's payout ratio is 37%, which means it paid out 37% of its trailing 12-month EPS as dividend.

MTB is expecting earnings to expand this fiscal year as well. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2022 is $15.18 per share, which represents a year-over-year growth rate of 10%.

Bottom Line

Investors like dividends for many reasons; they greatly improve stock investing profits, decrease overall portfolio risk, and carry tax advantages, among others. It's important to keep in mind that not all companies provide a quarterly payout.

For instance, it's a rare occurrence when a tech start-up or big growth business offers their shareholders a dividend. It's more common to see larger companies with more established profits give out dividends. Income investors have to be mindful of the fact that high-yielding stocks tend to struggle during periods of rising interest rates. With that in mind, MTB is a compelling investment opportunity. Not only is it a strong dividend play, but the stock currently sits at a Zacks Rank of 3 (Hold).


See More Zacks Research for These Tickers


Normally $25 each - click below to receive one report FREE:


M&T Bank Corporation (MTB) - free report >>

Published in