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.

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 make up large portions of long-term returns, and in many cases, dividend contributions surpass one-third of total returns.

Stewart Information Services (STC Quick QuoteSTC - Free Report) is headquartered in Houston, and is in the Finance sector. The stock has seen a price change of -7.17% since the start of the year. The title insurance and real estate services company is currently shelling out a dividend of $0.52 per share, with a dividend yield of 3.22%. This compares to the Insurance - Property and Casualty industry's yield of 0.76% and the S&P 500's yield of 1.41%.

Looking at dividend growth, the company's current annualized dividend of $2.10 is up 2.4% from last year. Over the last 5 years, Stewart Information Services has increased its dividend 5 times on a year-over-year basis for an average annual increase of 12.44%. 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. Stewart Information Services's current payout ratio is 39%, meaning it paid out 39% of its trailing 12-month EPS as dividend.

Looking at this fiscal year, STC expects solid earnings growth. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 is $5.80 per share, representing a year-over-year earnings growth rate of 18.61%.

From greatly improving stock investing profits and reducing overall portfolio risk to providing tax advantages, investors like dividends for a variety of different reasons. However, not all companies offer 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. During periods of rising interest rates, income investors must be mindful that high-yielding stocks tend to struggle. With that in mind, STC 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).