Illinois Tool Works (ITW) is a Top Dividend Stock Right Now: Should You Buy?

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 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.

Illinois Tool Works in Focus

Based in Glenview, Illinois Tool Works (ITW) is in the Industrial Products sector, and so far this year, shares have seen a price change of 3.81%. Currently paying a dividend of $1.07 per share, the company has a dividend yield of 2.3%. In comparison, the Manufacturing - General Industrial industry's yield is 0.73%, while the S&P 500's yield is 1.78%.

Looking at dividend growth, the company's current annualized dividend of $4.28 is up 3.4% from last year. Over the last 5 years, Illinois Tool Works has increased its dividend 5 times on a year-over-year basis for an average annual increase of 19.81%. 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, Illinois Tool Works's payout ratio is 55%, which means it paid out 55% of its trailing 12-month EPS as dividend.

Looking at this fiscal year, ITW expects solid earnings growth. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2020 is $7.88 per share, with earnings expected to increase 1.68% 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. However, not all companies offer 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, ITW 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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