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Why Northrim BanCorp (NRIM) is a Top Dividend Stock for Your Portfolio

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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. However, 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 account for significant portions of long-term returns, with dividend contributions exceeding one-third of total returns in many cases.

Based in Anchorage, Northrim BanCorp (NRIM - Free Report) is in the Finance sector, and so far this year, shares have seen a price change of 21.52%. The holding company for Northrim Bank is currently shelling out a dividend of $0.64 per share, with a dividend yield of 2.7%. This compares to the Banks - West industry's yield of 2.84% and the S&P 500's yield of 1.52%.

Looking at dividend growth, the company's current annualized dividend of $2.56 is up 4.1% from last year. Over the last 5 years, Northrim BanCorp has increased its dividend 5 times on a year-over-year basis for an average annual increase of 16.56%. 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. Northrim's current payout ratio is 34%, meaning it paid out 34% of its trailing 12-month EPS as dividend.

Looking at this fiscal year, NRIM expects solid earnings growth. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2025 is $9.66 per share, representing a year-over-year earnings growth rate of 45.92%.

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 must be conscious of the fact that high-yielding stocks tend to struggle during periods of rising interest rates. With that in mind, NRIM presents a compelling investment opportunity; it's not only an attractive dividend play, but the stock also boasts a strong Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy).


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