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Why Unum (UNM) is a Great Dividend Stock Right Now
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Whether it's through stocks, bonds, ETFs, or other types of securities, all investors love seeing their portfolios score big returns. However, 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 make up large portions of long-term returns, and in many cases, dividend contributions surpass one-third of total returns.
Unum in Focus
Headquartered in Chattanooga, Unum (UNM - Free Report) is a Finance stock that has seen a price change of 6.02% so far this year. The insurance company is currently shelling out a dividend of $0.33 per share, with a dividend yield of 3.03%. This compares to the Insurance - Accident and Health industry's yield of 2.49% and the S&P 500's yield of 1.76%.
In terms of dividend growth, the company's current annualized dividend of $1.32 is up 4.8% from last year. Over the last 5 years, Unum has increased its dividend 4 times on a year-over-year basis for an average annual increase of 5.80%. 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. Unum's current payout ratio is 20%. This means it paid out 20% of its trailing 12-month EPS as dividend.
Looking at this fiscal year, UNM expects solid earnings growth. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2023 is $7.06 per share, representing a year-over-year earnings growth rate of 13.69%.
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.
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. That said, they can take comfort from the fact that UNM is not only an attractive dividend play, but also represents a compelling investment opportunity with a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy).
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Why Unum (UNM) 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. However, 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 make up large portions of long-term returns, and in many cases, dividend contributions surpass one-third of total returns.
Unum in Focus
Headquartered in Chattanooga, Unum (UNM - Free Report) is a Finance stock that has seen a price change of 6.02% so far this year. The insurance company is currently shelling out a dividend of $0.33 per share, with a dividend yield of 3.03%. This compares to the Insurance - Accident and Health industry's yield of 2.49% and the S&P 500's yield of 1.76%.
In terms of dividend growth, the company's current annualized dividend of $1.32 is up 4.8% from last year. Over the last 5 years, Unum has increased its dividend 4 times on a year-over-year basis for an average annual increase of 5.80%. 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. Unum's current payout ratio is 20%. This means it paid out 20% of its trailing 12-month EPS as dividend.
Looking at this fiscal year, UNM expects solid earnings growth. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2023 is $7.06 per share, representing a year-over-year earnings growth rate of 13.69%.
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.
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. That said, they can take comfort from the fact that UNM is not only an attractive dividend play, but also represents a compelling investment opportunity with a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy).