Eaton (ETN) is a Top Dividend Stock Right Now: Should You Buy?

ETN

Getting big returns from financial portfolios, whether through stocks, bonds, ETFs, other securities, or a combination of all, is an investor's dream. But for income investors, generating consistent cash flow from each of your liquid investments is your primary focus.

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.

Eaton in Focus

Headquartered in Dublin, Eaton (ETN - Free Report) is an Industrial Products stock that has seen a price change of 6.48% so far this year. Currently paying a dividend of $0.86 per share, the company has a dividend yield of 2.06%. In comparison, the Manufacturing - Electronics industry's yield is 1.05%, while the S&P 500's yield is 1.72%.

Taking a look at the company's dividend growth, its current annualized dividend of $3.44 is up 6.2% from last year. Over the last 5 years, Eaton has increased its dividend 5 times on a year-over-year basis for an average annual increase of 4.98%. Future dividend growth will depend on earnings growth as well as payout ratio, which is the proportion of a company's annual earnings per share that it pays out as a dividend. Eaton's current payout ratio is 43%, meaning it paid out 43% of its trailing 12-month EPS as dividend.

Looking at this fiscal year, ETN expects solid earnings growth. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2023 is $8.25 per share, with earnings expected to increase 8.98% from the year ago period.

Bottom Line

From greatly improving stock investing profits and reducing overall portfolio risk to providing tax advantages, investors like dividends for a variety of different reasons. 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. During periods of rising interest rates, income investors must be mindful that high-yielding stocks tend to struggle. With that in mind, ETN 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).

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