Back to top

Image: Bigstock

The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc (PNC) Could Be a Great Choice

Read MoreHide Full Article

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.

While cash flow can come from bond interest or interest from other types of investments, income investors hone in on 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 account for significant portions of long-term returns, with dividend contributions exceeding one-third of total returns in many cases.

Based in Pittsburgh, The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc (PNC - Free Report) is in the Finance sector, and so far this year, shares have seen a price change of -3.61%. Currently paying a dividend of $1.70 per share, the company has a dividend yield of 3.66%. In comparison, the Financial - Investment Bank industry's yield is 1.05%, while the S&P 500's yield is 1.49%.

Looking at dividend growth, the company's current annualized dividend of $6.80 is up 7.9% from last year. Over the last 5 years, The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc has increased its dividend 3 times on a year-over-year basis for an average annual increase of 8.49%. 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. The PNC Financial Services Group's current payout ratio is 44%, meaning it paid out 44% of its trailing 12-month EPS as dividend.

PNC is expecting earnings to expand this fiscal year as well. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2025 is $15.41 per share, with earnings expected to increase 10.78% from the year ago period.

From greatly improving stock investing profits and reducing overall portfolio risk to providing tax advantages, investors like dividends for a variety of different reasons. It's important to keep in mind that not all companies provide 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. Income investors have to be mindful of the fact that high-yielding stocks tend to struggle during periods of rising interest rates. With that in mind, PNC 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).


See More Zacks Research for These Tickers


Normally $25 each - click below to receive one report FREE:


The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc (PNC) - free report >>

Published in