Back to top

Image: Bigstock

This is Why PPG Industries (PPG) is a Great Dividend Stock

Read MoreHide Full Article

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.

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

Based in Pittsburgh, PPG Industries (PPG - Free Report) is in the Basic Materials sector, and so far this year, shares have seen a price change of -4.34%. The paint and coatings maker is paying out a dividend of $0.71 per share at the moment, with a dividend yield of 2.49% compared to the Chemical - Specialty industry's yield of 0.87% and the S&P 500's yield of 1.49%.

Looking at dividend growth, the company's current annualized dividend of $2.84 is up 6.8% from last year. Over the last 5 years, PPG Industries has increased its dividend 5 times on a year-over-year basis for an average annual increase of 5.52%. 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. PPG Industries's current payout ratio is 35%, meaning it paid out 35% of its trailing 12-month EPS as dividend.

Earnings growth looks solid for PPG for this fiscal year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2025 is $7.88 per share, which represents a year-over-year growth rate of 0.13%.

Investors like dividends for many reasons; they greatly improve stock investing profits, decrease overall portfolio risk, and carry tax advantages, among others. However, not all companies offer 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, PPG 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:


PPG Industries, Inc. (PPG) - free report >>

Published in