Why Great Southern Bancorp (GSBC) is a Great Dividend Stock Right Now
Getting big returns from financial portfolios, whether through stocks, bonds, ETFs, other securities, or a combination of all, is an investor's dream. But 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 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.
Great Southern Bancorp in Focus
Based in Springfield, Great Southern Bancorp (GSBC) is in the Finance sector, and so far this year, shares have seen a price change of -1.08%. Currently paying a dividend of $0.4 per share, the company has a dividend yield of 2.73%. In comparison, the Financial - Savings and Loan industry's yield is 2.73%, while the S&P 500's yield is 1.65%.
Looking at dividend growth, the company's current annualized dividend of $1.60 is up 14.3% from last year. Great Southern Bancorp has increased its dividend 4 times on a year-over-year basis over the last 5 years for an average annual increase of 8%. 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. Great Southern Bancorp's current payout ratio is 30%, meaning it paid out 30% of its trailing 12-month EPS as dividend.
Looking at this fiscal year, GSBC expects solid earnings growth. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2022 is $5.97 per share, with earnings expected to increase 9.34% 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. During periods of rising interest rates, income investors must be mindful that high-yielding stocks tend to struggle. That said, they can take comfort from the fact that GSBC is not only an attractive dividend play, but is also a compelling investment opportunity with a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy).
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