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This is Why NBT Bancorp (NBTB) is a Great Dividend Stock
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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. 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 make up large portions of long-term returns, and in many cases, dividend contributions surpass one-third of total returns.
NBT Bancorp in Focus
Headquartered in Norwich, NBT Bancorp (NBTB - Free Report) is a Finance stock that has seen a price change of 4.74% so far this year. Currently paying a dividend of $0.26 per share, the company has a dividend yield of 2.87%. In comparison, the Banks - Northeast industry's yield is 1.7%, while the S&P 500's yield is 2%.
In terms of dividend growth, the company's current annualized dividend of $1.04 is up 5.1% from last year. In the past five-year period, NBT Bancorp has increased its dividend 3 times on a year-over-year basis for an average annual increase of 3.97%. Any future dividend growth will depend on both earnings growth and the company's payout ratio; a payout ratio is the proportion of a firm's annual earnings per share that it pays out as a dividend. Right now, NBT's payout ratio is 41%, which means it paid out 41% of its trailing 12-month EPS as dividend.
Looking at this fiscal year, NBTB expects solid earnings growth. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2019 is $2.62 per share, with earnings expected to increase 2.34% from the year ago period.
Bottom Line
Investors like dividends for many reasons; they greatly improve stock investing profits, decrease overall portfolio risk, and carry tax advantages, among others. It's important to keep in mind that not all companies provide 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, NBTB 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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This is Why NBT Bancorp (NBTB) is a Great Dividend Stock
Whether it's through stocks, bonds, ETFs, or other types of securities, all investors love seeing their portfolios score big returns. 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 make up large portions of long-term returns, and in many cases, dividend contributions surpass one-third of total returns.
NBT Bancorp in Focus
Headquartered in Norwich, NBT Bancorp (NBTB - Free Report) is a Finance stock that has seen a price change of 4.74% so far this year. Currently paying a dividend of $0.26 per share, the company has a dividend yield of 2.87%. In comparison, the Banks - Northeast industry's yield is 1.7%, while the S&P 500's yield is 2%.
In terms of dividend growth, the company's current annualized dividend of $1.04 is up 5.1% from last year. In the past five-year period, NBT Bancorp has increased its dividend 3 times on a year-over-year basis for an average annual increase of 3.97%. Any future dividend growth will depend on both earnings growth and the company's payout ratio; a payout ratio is the proportion of a firm's annual earnings per share that it pays out as a dividend. Right now, NBT's payout ratio is 41%, which means it paid out 41% of its trailing 12-month EPS as dividend.
Looking at this fiscal year, NBTB expects solid earnings growth. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2019 is $2.62 per share, with earnings expected to increase 2.34% from the year ago period.
Bottom Line
Investors like dividends for many reasons; they greatly improve stock investing profits, decrease overall portfolio risk, and carry tax advantages, among others. It's important to keep in mind that not all companies provide 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, NBTB 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).