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 make up large portions of long-term returns, and in many cases, dividend contributions surpass one-third of total returns.
Guaranty Bancshares Inc. In Focus
Guaranty Bancshares Inc. (GNTY) is headquartered in Addison, and is in the Finance sector. The stock has seen a price change of 12.98% since the start of the year. The company is paying out a dividend of $0.25 per share at the moment, with a dividend yield of 2.56% compared to the Banks - Southwest industry's yield of 1.16% and the S&P 500's yield of 1.68%.
Looking at dividend growth, the company's current annualized dividend of $1 is up 4.2% from last year. Guaranty Bancshares Inc. has increased its dividend 5 times on a year-over-year basis over the last 5 years for an average annual increase of 7.12%. 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. Right now, Guaranty Bancshares's payout ratio is 35%, which means it paid out 35% of its trailing 12-month EPS as dividend.
GNTY is expecting earnings to expand this fiscal year as well. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2025 is $3.10 per share, with earnings expected to increase 13.14% 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. But, not every company offers 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, GNTY 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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Guaranty Bancshares Inc. (GNTY): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
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