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This is Why BASF SE (BASFY) is a Great Dividend Stock

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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 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 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.

BASF SE in Focus

BASF SE (BASFY - Free Report) is headquartered in Ludwigshafen, and is in the Basic Materials sector. The stock has seen a price change of 0.2% since the start of the year. Currently paying a dividend of $0.71 per share, the company has a dividend yield of 3.6%. In comparison, the Chemical - Diversified industry's yield is 1.46%, while the S&P 500's yield is 1.35%.

Taking a look at the company's dividend growth, its current annualized dividend of $0.71 is up 6.4% from last year. BASF SE has increased its dividend 3 times on a year-over-year basis over the last 5 years for an average annual increase of 2.33%. 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, BASF SE's payout ratio is 57%, which means it paid out 57% of its trailing 12-month EPS as dividend.

BASFY is expecting earnings to expand this fiscal year as well. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2021 is $1.34 per share, representing a year-over-year earnings growth rate of 45.65%.

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. But, not every company offers 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. During periods of rising interest rates, income investors must be mindful that high-yielding stocks tend to struggle. With that in mind, BASFY 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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