Why First Industrial Realty Trust (FR) is a Great Dividend Stock Right Now
All investors love getting big returns from their portfolio, whether it's through stocks, bonds, ETFs, or other types of securities. However, when you're an income investor, your primary focus is generating consistent cash flow from each of your liquid investments.
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 make up large portions of long-term returns, and in many cases, dividend contributions surpass one-third of total returns.
First Industrial Realty Trust in Focus
Headquartered in Chicago, First Industrial Realty Trust (FR) is a Finance stock that has seen a price change of 10.15% so far this year. Currently paying a dividend of $0.32 per share, the company has a dividend yield of 2.41%. In comparison, the REIT and Equity Trust - Other industry's yield is 4.61%, while the S&P 500's yield is 1.66%.
In terms of dividend growth, the company's current annualized dividend of $1.28 is up 8.5% from last year. Over the last 5 years, First Industrial Realty Trust has increased its dividend 5 times on a year-over-year basis for an average annual increase of 8.48%. 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. Right now, First Industrial Realty Trust's payout ratio is 54%, which means it paid out 54% of its trailing 12-month EPS as dividend.
Looking at this fiscal year, FR expects solid earnings growth. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2023 is $2.42 per share, representing a year-over-year earnings growth rate of 6.14%.
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.
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, FR 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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First Industrial Realty Trust, Inc. (FR) : Free Stock Analysis Report
