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.

Based in Oakland, First United Corporation (FUNC Quick QuoteFUNC - Free Report) is in the Finance sector, and so far this year, shares have seen a price change of -4.09%. The company is currently shelling out a dividend of $0.26 per share, with a dividend yield of 2.9%. This compares to the Banks - Northeast industry's yield of 2.44% and the S&P 500's yield of 1.43%.

Looking at dividend growth, the company's current annualized dividend of $1.04 is up 13% from last year. Over the last 5 years, First United Corporation has increased its dividend 3 times on a year-over-year basis for an average annual increase of 13.06%. 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. First United's current payout ratio is 26%, meaning it paid out 26% of its trailing 12-month EPS as dividend.

Looking at this fiscal year, FUNC expects solid earnings growth. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 is $4.25 per share, representing a year-over-year earnings growth rate of 7.05%.

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.

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 FUNC is not only an attractive dividend play, but also represents a compelling investment opportunity with a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).