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Why The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc (PNC) 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 when you're an income investor, your primary focus is generating consistent cash flow from each of your liquid investments.

While cash flow can come from bond interest or interest from other types of investments, income investors hone in on 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 account for significant portions of long-term returns, with dividend contributions exceeding one-third of total returns in many cases.

The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc in Focus

Based in Pittsburgh, The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc (PNC - Free Report) is in the Finance sector, and so far this year, shares have seen a price change of -4.05%. The company is currently shelling out a dividend of $1.25 per share, with a dividend yield of 2.6%. This compares to the Banks - Major Regional industry's yield of 2.78% and the S&P 500's yield of 1.48%.

Taking a look at the company's dividend growth, its current annualized dividend of $5 is up 4.2% from last year. In the past five-year period, The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc has increased its dividend 4 times on a year-over-year basis for an average annual increase of 17.33%. 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, The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc's payout ratio is 31%, which means it paid out 31% of its trailing 12-month EPS as dividend.

PNC is expecting earnings to expand this fiscal year as well. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2022 is $14.24 per share, which represents a year-over-year growth rate of 0.42%.

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, PNC 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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