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IdaCorp (IDA) Could Be a Great Choice

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All investors love getting big returns from their portfolio, whether it's through stocks, bonds, ETFs, or other types of securities. 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.

Headquartered in Boise, IdaCorp (IDA - Free Report) is a Utilities stock that has seen a price change of 8.77% so far this year. Currently paying a dividend of $0.88 per share, the company has a dividend yield of 2.56%. In comparison, the Utility - Electric Power industry's yield is 3.18%, while the S&P 500's yield is 1.34%.

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.

IDA is expecting earnings to expand this fiscal year as well. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 is $6.38 per share, representing a year-over-year earnings growth rate of 8.14%.

Investors like dividends for a variety of different reasons, from tax advantages and decreasing overall portfolio risk to considerably improving stock investing profits. 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 must be conscious of the fact that high-yielding stocks tend to struggle during periods of rising interest rates. With that in mind, IDA 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).

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