Back to top

Image: Bigstock

This is Why Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Inc. (FMAO) is a Great Dividend Stock

Read MoreHide Full Article

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.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Inc. In Focus

Headquartered in Archbold, Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Inc. (FMAO - Free Report) is a Finance stock that has seen a price change of -8.96% so far this year. The company is paying out a dividend of $0.2 per share at the moment, with a dividend yield of 2.54% compared to the Banks - Northeast industry's yield of 2.36% and the S&P 500's yield of 1.64%.

Taking a look at the company's dividend growth, its current annualized dividend of $0.76 is up 7% from last year. Over the last 5 years, Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Inc. has increased its dividend 5 times on a year-over-year basis for an average annual increase of 8.65%. 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. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Inc.'s current payout ratio is 30%. This means it paid out 30% of its trailing 12-month EPS as dividend.

FMAO is expecting earnings to expand this fiscal year as well. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2022 is $2.64 per share, which represents a year-over-year growth rate of 15.79%.

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.

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. During periods of rising interest rates, income investors must be mindful that high-yielding stocks tend to struggle. With that in mind, FMAO 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).


See More Zacks Research for These Tickers


Normally $25 each - click below to receive one report FREE:


Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Inc. (FMAO) - free report >>

Published in