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Why Snap-On (SNA) is a Great Dividend Stock Right Now

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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 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 account for significant portions of long-term returns, with dividend contributions exceeding one-third of total returns in many cases.

Snap-On in Focus

Based in Kenosha, Snap-On (SNA - Free Report) is in the Consumer Discretionary sector, and so far this year, shares have seen a price change of -6.76%. The tool and diagnostic equipment maker is currently shelling out a dividend of $1.86 per share, with a dividend yield of 2.76%. This compares to the Tools - Handheld industry's yield of 0.83% and the S&P 500's yield of 1.61%.

In terms of dividend growth, the company's current annualized dividend of $7.44 is up 10.7% from last year. In the past five-year period, Snap-On has increased its dividend 5 times on a year-over-year basis for an average annual increase of 14.82%. Looking ahead, future dividend growth will be dependent on earnings growth and payout ratio, which is the proportion of a company's annual earnings per share that it pays out as a dividend. Right now, Snap-On's payout ratio is 39%, which means it paid out 39% of its trailing 12-month EPS as dividend.

SNA is expecting earnings to expand this fiscal year as well. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2024 is $19.21 per share, which represents a year-over-year growth rate of 2.40%.

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. However, not all companies offer a quarterly payout.

Big, established firms that have more secure profits are often seen as the best dividend options, but it's fairly uncommon to see high-growth businesses or tech start-ups offer their stockholders a dividend. During periods of rising interest rates, income investors must be mindful that high-yielding stocks tend to struggle. With that in mind, SNA 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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