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This is Why HP (HPQ) is a Great Dividend Stock

Whether it's through stocks, bonds, ETFs, or other types of securities, all investors love seeing their portfolios score big returns. 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.

HP in Focus

Headquartered in Palo Alto, HP (HPQ) is a Computer and Technology stock that has seen a price change of 35.71% so far this year. Currently paying a dividend of $0.19 per share, the company has a dividend yield of 2.32%. In comparison, the Computer - Mini computers industry's yield is 0.84%, while the S&P 500's yield is 1.25%.

Looking at dividend growth, the company's current annualized dividend of $0.78 is up 10.6% from last year. In the past five-year period, HP has increased its dividend 5 times on a year-over-year basis for an average annual increase of 8.95%. 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. HP's current payout ratio is 31%, meaning it paid out 31% of its trailing 12-month EPS as dividend.

Looking at this fiscal year, HPQ expects solid earnings growth. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2021 is $3.34 per share, with earnings expected to increase 46.49% from the year ago period.

Bottom Line

Investors like dividends for many reasons; they greatly improve stock investing profits, decrease overall portfolio risk, and carry tax advantages, among others. But, not every company offers 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. With that in mind, HPQ 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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