Why Essential Utilities (WTRG) 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 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.

Essential Utilities in Focus

Headquartered in Bryn Mawr, Essential Utilities (WTRG) is a Utilities stock that has seen a price change of -6.95% so far this year. Currently paying a dividend of $0.23 per share, the company has a dividend yield of 2.15%. In comparison, the Utility - Water Supply industry's yield is 1.76%, while the S&P 500's yield is 1.89%.

In terms of dividend growth, the company's current annualized dividend of $0.94 is up 3.6% from last year. Essential Utilities has increased its dividend 5 times on a year-over-year basis over the last 5 years for an average annual increase of 6.81%. 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. Essential Utilities's current payout ratio is 52%, meaning it paid out 52% of its trailing 12-month EPS as dividend.

WTRG is expecting earnings to expand this fiscal year as well. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2020 is $1.56 per share, which represents a year-over-year growth rate of 6.12%.

Bottom Line

Investors like dividends for many reasons; they greatly improve stock investing profits, decrease overall portfolio risk, and carry tax advantages, among others. 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 WTRG is not only an attractive dividend play, but also represents a compelling investment opportunity with a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

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