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Why Allstate (ALL) is a Great Dividend Stock Right Now

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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.

While cash flow can come from bond interest or interest from other types of investments, income investors hone in on 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.

Allstate in Focus

Headquartered in Northbrook, Allstate (ALL - Free Report) is a Finance stock that has seen a price change of -16.09% so far this year. The insurer is paying out a dividend of $0.54 per share at the moment, with a dividend yield of 2.29% compared to the Insurance - Property and Casualty industry's yield of 1.36% and the S&P 500's yield of 1.81%.

In terms of dividend growth, the company's current annualized dividend of $2.16 is up 8% from last year. In the past five-year period, Allstate has increased its dividend 5 times on a year-over-year basis for an average annual increase of 14.35%. 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. Allstate's current payout ratio is 18%, meaning it paid out 18% of its trailing 12-month EPS as dividend.

Looking at this fiscal year, ALL expects solid earnings growth. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2020 is $10.94 per share, representing a year-over-year earnings growth rate of 4.89%.

Bottom Line

Investors like dividends for many reasons; they greatly improve stock investing profits, decrease overall portfolio risk, and carry tax advantages, among others. But, not every company offers 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, ALL 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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