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Why First Financial Bankshares (FFIN) 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.

First Financial Bankshares in Focus

Headquartered in Abilene, First Financial Bankshares (FFIN - Free Report) is a Finance stock that has seen a price change of 2.15% so far this year. Currently paying a dividend of $0.18 per share, the company has a dividend yield of 2.33%. In comparison, the Banks - Southwest industry's yield is 0.61%, while the S&P 500's yield is 1.59%.

In terms of dividend growth, the company's current annualized dividend of $0.72 is up 1.4% from last year. In the past five-year period, First Financial Bankshares has increased its dividend 5 times on a year-over-year basis for an average annual increase of 11.78%. 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. First Financial's current payout ratio is 51%. This means it paid out 51% of its trailing 12-month EPS as dividend.

Looking at this fiscal year, FFIN expects solid earnings growth. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2024 is $1.45 per share, with earnings expected to increase 4.32% from the year ago period.

Bottom Line

Investors like dividends for many reasons; they greatly improve stock investing profits, decrease overall portfolio risk, and carry tax advantages, among others. 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. 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, FFIN presents a compelling investment opportunity; it's not only an attractive dividend play, but the stock also boasts a strong Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy).


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