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This is Why BlackRock (BLK) is a Great Dividend Stock

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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 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 that coveted distribution of a company's earnings paid out to shareholders, and investors often view it by its dividend yield, a metric that measures the dividend as a percent of the current stock price. Many academic studies show that dividends make up large portions of long-term returns, and in many cases, dividend contributions surpass one-third of total returns.

BlackRock in Focus

Headquartered in New York, BlackRock (BLK - Free Report) is a Finance stock that has seen a price change of 12.7% so far this year. The investment firm is currently shelling out a dividend of $4.13 per share, with a dividend yield of 2.03%. This compares to the Financial - Investment Management industry's yield of 1.67% and the S&P 500's yield of 1.25%.

In terms of dividend growth, the company's current annualized dividend of $16.52 is up 13.8% from last year. Over the last 5 years, BlackRock has increased its dividend 5 times on a year-over-year basis for an average annual increase of 12.93%. 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. BlackRock's current payout ratio is 47%, meaning it paid out 47% of its trailing 12-month EPS as dividend.

BLK is expecting earnings to expand this fiscal year as well. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2021 is $36.60 per share, with earnings expected to increase 8.22% from the year ago period.

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 must be conscious of the fact that high-yielding stocks tend to struggle during periods of rising interest rates. With that in mind, BLK 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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