Back to top

Image: Bigstock

Are You Looking for a High-Growth Dividend Stock? Eli Lilly (LLY) Could Be a Great Choice

Read MoreHide Full Article

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.

Eli Lilly in Focus

Headquartered in Indianapolis, Eli Lilly (LLY - Free Report) is a Medical stock that has seen a price change of -4.07% so far this year. The drugmaker is paying out a dividend of $0.64 per share at the moment, with a dividend yield of 2.32% compared to the Large Cap Pharmaceuticals industry's yield of 2.82% and the S&P 500's yield of 1.94%.

Taking a look at the company's dividend growth, its current annualized dividend of $2.58 is up 14.7% from last year. Over the last 5 years, Eli Lilly has increased its dividend 5 times on a year-over-year basis for an average annual increase of 4.89%. 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, Lilly's payout ratio is 46%, which means it paid out 46% of its trailing 12-month EPS as dividend.

LLY is expecting earnings to expand this fiscal year as well. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2019 is $5.72 per share, representing a year-over-year earnings growth rate of 3.06%.

Bottom Line

From greatly improving stock investing profits and reducing overall portfolio risk to providing tax advantages, investors like dividends for a variety of different reasons. It's important to keep in mind that not all companies provide a quarterly payout.

High-growth firms or tech start-ups, for example, rarely provide their shareholders a dividend, while larger, more established companies that have more secure profits are often seen as the best dividend options. 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 LLY is not only an attractive dividend play, but is also a compelling investment opportunity with a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).


See More Zacks Research for These Tickers


Normally $25 each - click below to receive one report FREE:


Eli Lilly and Company (LLY) - free report >>

Published in