We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies, revised Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.
You are being directed to ZacksTrade, a division of LBMZ Securities and licensed broker-dealer. ZacksTrade and Zacks.com are separate companies. The web link between the two companies is not a solicitation or offer to invest in a particular security or type of security. ZacksTrade does not endorse or adopt any particular investment strategy, any analyst opinion/rating/report or any approach to evaluating individual securities.
If you wish to go to ZacksTrade, click OK. If you do not, click Cancel.
Why East West Bancorp (EWBC) is a Great Dividend Stock Right Now
Read MoreHide Full Article
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.
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.
East West Bancorp in Focus
East West Bancorp (EWBC - Free Report) is headquartered in Pasadena, and is in the Finance sector. The stock has seen a price change of -19.01% since the start of the year. The bank holding company is currently shelling out a dividend of $0.48 per share, with a dividend yield of 3.6%. This compares to the Banks - West industry's yield of 3.45% and the S&P 500's yield of 1.72%.
Taking a look at the company's dividend growth, its current annualized dividend of $1.92 is up 20% from last year. Over the last 5 years, East West Bancorp has increased its dividend 5 times on a year-over-year basis for an average annual increase of 16.24%. Future dividend growth will depend on earnings growth as well as payout ratio, which is the proportion of a company's annual earnings per share that it pays out as a dividend. East West Bancorp's current payout ratio is 20%. This means it paid out 20% of its trailing 12-month EPS as dividend.
EWBC is expecting earnings to expand this fiscal year as well. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2023 is $8.85 per share, representing a year-over-year earnings growth rate of 11.74%.
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.
For instance, it's a rare occurrence when a tech start-up or big growth business offers their shareholders a dividend. It's more common to see larger companies with more established profits give out dividends. 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, EWBC 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).
See More Zacks Research for These Tickers
Normally $25 each - click below to receive one report FREE:
Image: Bigstock
Why East West Bancorp (EWBC) is a Great Dividend Stock Right Now
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.
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.
East West Bancorp in Focus
East West Bancorp (EWBC - Free Report) is headquartered in Pasadena, and is in the Finance sector. The stock has seen a price change of -19.01% since the start of the year. The bank holding company is currently shelling out a dividend of $0.48 per share, with a dividend yield of 3.6%. This compares to the Banks - West industry's yield of 3.45% and the S&P 500's yield of 1.72%.
Taking a look at the company's dividend growth, its current annualized dividend of $1.92 is up 20% from last year. Over the last 5 years, East West Bancorp has increased its dividend 5 times on a year-over-year basis for an average annual increase of 16.24%. Future dividend growth will depend on earnings growth as well as payout ratio, which is the proportion of a company's annual earnings per share that it pays out as a dividend. East West Bancorp's current payout ratio is 20%. This means it paid out 20% of its trailing 12-month EPS as dividend.
EWBC is expecting earnings to expand this fiscal year as well. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2023 is $8.85 per share, representing a year-over-year earnings growth rate of 11.74%.
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.
For instance, it's a rare occurrence when a tech start-up or big growth business offers their shareholders a dividend. It's more common to see larger companies with more established profits give out dividends. 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, EWBC 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).