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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 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 account for significant portions of long-term returns, with dividend contributions exceeding one-third of total returns in many cases.
Based in Greenville, United Community Banks (UCB - Free Report) is in the Finance sector, and so far this year, shares have seen a price change of 6.95%. Currently paying a dividend of $0.25 per share, the company has a dividend yield of 2.99%. In comparison, the Banks - Southeast industry's yield is 2.12%, while the S&P 500's yield is 1.35%.
Looking at dividend growth, the company's current annualized dividend of $1.00 is up 2% from last year. Over the last 5 years, United Community Banks has increased its dividend 4 times on a year-over-year basis for an average annual increase of 6.51%. 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. United Community Banks's current payout ratio is 38%, meaning it paid out 38% of its trailing 12-month EPS as dividend.
Earnings growth looks solid for UCB for this fiscal year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 is $2.96 per share, with earnings expected to increase 9.23% from the year ago period.
From greatly improving stock investing profits and reducing overall portfolio risk to providing tax advantages, investors like dividends for a variety of different reasons. But, not every company offers a quarterly payout.
Big, established firms that have more secure profits are often seen as the best dividend options, but it's fairly uncommon to see high-growth businesses or tech start-ups offer their stockholders a dividend. Income investors have to be mindful of the fact that high-yielding stocks tend to struggle during periods of rising interest rates. That said, they can take comfort from the fact that UCB is not only an attractive dividend play, but is also a compelling investment opportunity with a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).
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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 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 account for significant portions of long-term returns, with dividend contributions exceeding one-third of total returns in many cases.
Based in Greenville, United Community Banks (UCB - Free Report) is in the Finance sector, and so far this year, shares have seen a price change of 6.95%. Currently paying a dividend of $0.25 per share, the company has a dividend yield of 2.99%. In comparison, the Banks - Southeast industry's yield is 2.12%, while the S&P 500's yield is 1.35%.
Looking at dividend growth, the company's current annualized dividend of $1.00 is up 2% from last year. Over the last 5 years, United Community Banks has increased its dividend 4 times on a year-over-year basis for an average annual increase of 6.51%. 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. United Community Banks's current payout ratio is 38%, meaning it paid out 38% of its trailing 12-month EPS as dividend.
Earnings growth looks solid for UCB for this fiscal year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 is $2.96 per share, with earnings expected to increase 9.23% from the year ago period.
From greatly improving stock investing profits and reducing overall portfolio risk to providing tax advantages, investors like dividends for a variety of different reasons. But, not every company offers a quarterly payout.
Big, established firms that have more secure profits are often seen as the best dividend options, but it's fairly uncommon to see high-growth businesses or tech start-ups offer their stockholders a dividend. Income investors have to be mindful of the fact that high-yielding stocks tend to struggle during periods of rising interest rates. That said, they can take comfort from the fact that UCB is not only an attractive dividend play, but is also a compelling investment opportunity with a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).