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This is Why Hanover Insurance Group (THG) is a Great Dividend Stock

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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. However, 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 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.

Hanover Insurance Group in Focus

Headquartered in Worcester, Hanover Insurance Group (THG - Free Report) is a Finance stock that has seen a price change of 4.5% so far this year. The insurance company is currently shelling out a dividend of $0.75 per share, with a dividend yield of 2.19%. This compares to the Insurance - Property and Casualty industry's yield of 1% and the S&P 500's yield of 1.71%.

In terms of dividend growth, the company's current annualized dividend of $3 is up 5.3% from last year. Over the last 5 years, Hanover Insurance Group has increased its dividend 5 times on a year-over-year basis for an average annual increase of 8.64%. 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. Hanover Insurance's current payout ratio is 29%, meaning it paid out 29% of its trailing 12-month EPS as dividend.

Looking at this fiscal year, THG expects solid earnings growth. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2022 is $10.50 per share, with earnings expected to increase 20.27% from the year ago period.

Bottom Line

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.

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, THG 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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