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Why Snap-On (SNA) is a Great Dividend Stock Right Now

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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 make up large portions of long-term returns, and in many cases, dividend contributions surpass one-third of total returns.

Snap-On in Focus

Based in Kenosha, Snap-On (SNA - Free Report) is in the Consumer Discretionary sector, and so far this year, shares have seen a price change of 29.61%. The tool and diagnostic equipment maker is currently shelling out a dividend of $1.23 per share, with a dividend yield of 2.22%. This compares to the Tools - Handheld industry's yield of 0.08% and the S&P 500's yield of 1.33%.

Taking a look at the company's dividend growth, its current annualized dividend of $4.92 is up 10.1% from last year. Over the last 5 years, Snap-On has increased its dividend 5 times on a year-over-year basis for an average annual increase of 15.44%. Any future dividend growth will depend on both earnings growth and the company's payout ratio; a payout ratio is the proportion of a firm's annual earnings per share that it pays out as a dividend. Snap-On's current payout ratio is 39%, meaning it paid out 39% of its trailing 12-month EPS as dividend.

Earnings growth looks solid for SNA for this fiscal year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2021 is $13.50 per share, representing a year-over-year earnings growth rate of 16.08%.

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.

Big, established firms that have more secure profits are often seen as the best dividend options, but it's fairly uncommon to see high-growth businesses or tech start-ups offer their stockholders a dividend. During periods of rising interest rates, income investors must be mindful that high-yielding stocks tend to struggle. That said, they can take comfort from the fact that SNA is not only an attractive dividend play, but is also a compelling investment opportunity with a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).


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