Why ConnectOne Bancorp (CNOB) is a Top Dividend Stock for Your Portfolio

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.ConnectOne Bancorp in FocusBased in Englewood Cliffs, ConnectOne Bancorp (CNOB) is in the Finance sector, and so far this year, shares have seen a price change of -0.74%. The holding company for ConnectOne Bank is paying out a dividend of $0.18 per share at the moment, with a dividend yield of 3.17% compared to the Banks - Northeast industry's yield of 2.87% and the S&P 500's yield of 1.64%.In terms of dividend growth, the company's current annualized dividend of $0.72 is up 1.4% from last year. Over the last 5 years, ConnectOne Bancorp has increased its dividend 4 times on a year-over-year basis for an average annual increase of 18.45%. 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, ConnectOne's payout ratio is 38%, which means it paid out 38% of its trailing 12-month EPS as dividend.CNOB is expecting earnings to expand this fiscal year as well. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2025 is $2.48 per share, representing a year-over-year earnings growth rate of 36.26%.Bottom LineInvestors like dividends for many reasons; they greatly improve stock investing profits, decrease overall portfolio risk, and carry tax advantages, among others. 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. During periods of rising interest rates, income investors must be mindful that high-yielding stocks tend to struggle. With that in mind, CNOB 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).Only $1 to See All Zacks' Buys and SellsWe're not kidding.Several years ago, we shocked our members by offering them 30-day access to all our picks for the total sum of only $1. No obligation to spend another cent.Thousands have taken advantage of this opportunity. Thousands did not - they thought there must be a catch. Yes, we do have a reason. We want you to get acquainted with our portfolio services like Surprise Trader, Stocks Under $10, Technology Innovators,and more, that closed 256 positions with double- and triple-digit gains in 2024 alone.See Stocks Now >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report ConnectOne Bancorp, Inc. (CNOB): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks