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IdaCorp (IDA) Could Be a Great Choice

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Whether it's through stocks, bonds, ETFs, or other types of securities, all investors love seeing their portfolios score big returns. 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 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 Boise, IdaCorp (IDA - Free Report) is in the Utilities sector, and so far this year, shares have seen a price change of 12.07%. Currently paying a dividend of $0.88 per share, the company has a dividend yield of 2.48%. In comparison, the Utility - Electric Power industry's yield is 3.11%, while the S&P 500's yield is 1.31%.

Looking at dividend growth, the company's current annualized dividend of $3.52 is up 1.7% from last year. Over the last 5 years, IdaCorp has increased its dividend 5 times on a year-over-year basis for an average annual increase of 5.14%. 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. IdaCorp's current payout ratio is 58%, meaning it paid out 58% of its trailing 12-month EPS as dividend.

Looking at this fiscal year, IDA expects solid earnings growth. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 is $6.39 per share, representing a year-over-year earnings growth rate of 8.31%.

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.

For instance, it's a rare occurrence when a tech start-up or big growth business offers its shareholders a dividend. It's more common to see larger companies with more established profits give out dividends. 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 IDA is not only an attractive dividend play, but also represents a compelling investment opportunity with a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

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