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Why Rockwell Automation (ROK) is a Top Dividend Stock for Your Portfolio

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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.

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.

Rockwell Automation in Focus

Based in Milwaukee, Rockwell Automation (ROK - Free Report) is in the Industrial Products sector, and so far this year, shares have seen a price change of -0.98%. The industrial equipment and software maker is currently shelling out a dividend of $1.02 per share, with a dividend yield of 2.03%. This compares to the Industrial Automation and Robotics industry's yield of 0.54% and the S&P 500's yield of 1.78%.

Taking a look at the company's dividend growth, its current annualized dividend of $4.08 is up 5.2% from last year. In the past five-year period, Rockwell Automation has increased its dividend 5 times on a year-over-year basis for an average annual increase of 10.41%. 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, Rockwell Automation's payout ratio is 48%, which means it paid out 48% of its trailing 12-month EPS as dividend.

Earnings growth looks solid for ROK for this fiscal year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2020 is $8.94 per share, representing a year-over-year earnings growth rate of 3.11%.

Bottom Line

Investors like dividends for many reasons; they greatly improve stock investing profits, decrease overall portfolio risk, and carry tax advantages, among others. But, not every company offers 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. 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, ROK 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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