What's Better Than Dividends? Growing Dividends

The following post was written and/or published as a collaboration between Benzinga’s in-house sponsored content team and a financial partner of Benzinga.

Dividends are payments that companies typically make to shareholders at regular intervals, usually quarterly. They signal the financial health of a company and are a strong force in generating investor returns and income.

Dividends paid by the companies in the S&P 500 have grown by an annualized rate of 10% since 2010. Investors looking for a growing source of income should consider stocks. However, for companies to grow their dividend payouts to investors, they need to be profitable enough to generate cash flow.

S&P 500 dividend per share has grown by over 100% during the last 10 years

Source: Bloomberg Finance L.P., data as of 12/31/2020. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

S&P 500 Dividend Paying Stocks With Higher Dividend Growth Performed Best

A company’s financial health is inextricably linked to its stock performance, so if the ability to pay and grow dividends is an indication of health, the companies growing their dividends the fastest should outperform, all things equal. The question is, by how much? Looking at just the dividend-paying stocks in the S&P 500, those ranking in the 1st quartile of 5-year annualized dividend growth outperformed those in the 4th quartile, on average, by an annualized rate of almost 12%. Investors evaluating equity income strategies may want to consider those focused on dividend growth like the O’Shares U.S. Quality Dividend ETF (OUSA).

Performance of Dividend Growth Stocks:

Stronger Dividend Growth = Stronger Performance?

Source: Bloomberg Finance L.P., data as of 3/31/2021. Dividend Paying Stocks: S&P 500 Dividend Paying Stocks. Names in bubbles are examples of stocks in each quartile. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

For top ten holdings of the OUSA ETF click here.

OUSA: More Growth, Less Cuts?

Equity income investors are probably concerned about 2 things: Is my income safe, and will my income grow? Though nothing is guaranteed in life there may be clues in company profitability and balance sheet metrics. The quality approach embedded in the OUSA strategy emphasizes return on assets (ROA) for profitability and leverage (net debt to earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization). It may reduce the risk of dividend cuts and suspensions while supporting future dividend growth.

Dividend Death Watch More Dividend Growth Stocks in OUSA

Source: Source: Bloomberg Finance L.P. Data as of 3/31/2021. Value: Russell 1000 Value Index. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

A quality approach to dividend investing may provide investors with a growing source of income and lower-risk equity exposure than traditional value and market capitalization weighted strategies. Investors can get more research on dividend investing from O’Shares exchange-traded funds (ETFs) here. Advisers who would like to request additional portfolio details with fundamental metrics may contact O’Shares ETFs directly. 

-  This sponsored content was created by O’Shares ETFs - 

Concentration in a particular industry or sector will subject the Funds to loss due to adverse occurrences that may affect that industry or sector. The Funds may use derivatives which may involve risks different from, or greater than, those associated with more traditional investments. A Fund's emphasis on dividend-paying stocks involves the risk that such stocks may fall out of favor with investors and underperform the market. Also, a company may reduce or eliminate its dividend after the Fund's purchase of such a company's securities. Returns on investments in foreign securities could be more volatile than, or trail the returns on, investments in U.S. securities. Exposures to foreign securities entail special risks, including political, diplomatic, economic, foreign market and trading risks. In addition, a Fund's investments in securities denominated in other currencies could decline due to changes in local currency relative to the value of the U.S. dollar, which may affect the Fund's returns. See the prospectus for specific risks regarding the Funds.

The securities of small capitalization companies are often more volatile and less liquid than the stocks of larger companies and may be more affected than other types of securities during market downturns. Compared to larger companies, small capitalization companies may have a shorter history of operations, and may have limited product lines, markets or financial resources.

Companies involved with Internet technology and e-commerce are exposed to risks associated with rapid advances in technology, obsolescence of current products and services, the finite life of patents and the constant threat of global competition and substitutes.

Before you invest in O’Shares ETF Investments Funds, please refer to the prospectus for important information about the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses. To obtain a prospectus containing this and other important information, please visit www.oshares.com to view or download a prospectus online. Read the prospectus carefully before you invest. There are risks involved with investing including the possible loss of principal.

O’Shares ETF Investments Funds are distributed by Foreside Fund Services, LLC. Foreside Fund Services, LLC is not affiliated with O’Shares ETF Investments or any of its affiliates.

Definitions:

EBITDA: Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, is a measure of a company’s overall financial performance and is used as an alternative to net income.

S&P 500: Represented by S&P 500 Index. The S&P 500® is widely regarded as the best single gauge of large-cap U.S. equities and serves as the foundation for a wide range of investment products. The index includes 500 leading companies and captures approximately 80% coverage of available market capitalization. The referenced index is shown for general market comparisons and is not meant to represent the O’Shares Funds. Investors cannot directly invest in an index.

1st Quartile: Contains the top 25% of companies in the S&P 500 based on average 5-year annualized dividend growth.

2nd Quartile: Contains the top 25%-50% of companies in the S&P 500 based on average 5-year annualized dividend growth.

3rd Quartile: Contains the top 50%-75% of companies in the S&P 500 based on average 5-year annualized dividend growth.

4th Quartile: Contains the bottom 25% of companies in the S&P 500 based on average 5-year annualized dividend growth.

The preceding post was written and/or published as a collaboration between Benzinga’s in-house sponsored content team and a financial partner of Benzinga. Although the piece is not and should not be construed as editorial content, the sponsored content team works to ensure that any and all information contained within is true and accurate to the best of their knowledge and research. This content is for informational purposes only and not intended to be investing advice.