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Whether it's through stocks, bonds, ETFs, or other types of securities, all investors love seeing their portfolios score big returns. 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 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.
First Bancorp in Focus
Based in Southern Pines, First Bancorp (FBNC - Free Report) is in the Finance sector, and so far this year, shares have seen a price change of -23.95%. The bank holding company for First Bank is currently shelling out a dividend of $0.22 per share, with a dividend yield of 2.53%. This compares to the Banks - Southeast industry's yield of 2.18% and the S&P 500's yield of 1.73%.
In terms of dividend growth, the company's current annualized dividend of $0.88 is up 10% from last year. In the past five-year period, First Bancorp has increased its dividend 5 times on a year-over-year basis for an average annual increase of 26.53%. 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, First Bancorp's payout ratio is 24%, which means it paid out 24% of its trailing 12-month EPS as dividend.
Earnings growth looks solid for FBNC for this fiscal year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2022 is $3.94 per share, representing a year-over-year earnings growth rate of 8.54%.
Bottom Line
Investors like dividends for a variety of different reasons, from tax advantages and decreasing overall portfolio risk to considerably improving stock investing profits. But, not every company offers a quarterly payout.
High-growth firms or tech start-ups, for example, rarely provide their shareholders a dividend, while larger, more established companies that have more secure profits are often seen as the best dividend options. Income investors have to be mindful of the fact that high-yielding stocks tend to struggle during periods of rising interest rates. With that in mind, FBNC 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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First Bancorp (FBNC) Could Be a Great Choice
Whether it's through stocks, bonds, ETFs, or other types of securities, all investors love seeing their portfolios score big returns. 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 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.
First Bancorp in Focus
Based in Southern Pines, First Bancorp (FBNC - Free Report) is in the Finance sector, and so far this year, shares have seen a price change of -23.95%. The bank holding company for First Bank is currently shelling out a dividend of $0.22 per share, with a dividend yield of 2.53%. This compares to the Banks - Southeast industry's yield of 2.18% and the S&P 500's yield of 1.73%.
In terms of dividend growth, the company's current annualized dividend of $0.88 is up 10% from last year. In the past five-year period, First Bancorp has increased its dividend 5 times on a year-over-year basis for an average annual increase of 26.53%. 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, First Bancorp's payout ratio is 24%, which means it paid out 24% of its trailing 12-month EPS as dividend.
Earnings growth looks solid for FBNC for this fiscal year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2022 is $3.94 per share, representing a year-over-year earnings growth rate of 8.54%.
Bottom Line
Investors like dividends for a variety of different reasons, from tax advantages and decreasing overall portfolio risk to considerably improving stock investing profits. But, not every company offers a quarterly payout.
High-growth firms or tech start-ups, for example, rarely provide their shareholders a dividend, while larger, more established companies that have more secure profits are often seen as the best dividend options. Income investors have to be mindful of the fact that high-yielding stocks tend to struggle during periods of rising interest rates. With that in mind, FBNC 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).