Middlesex Water (MSEX) is a Top Dividend Stock Right Now: Should You Buy?

Getting big returns from financial portfolios, whether through stocks, bonds, ETFs, other securities, or a combination of all, is an investor's dream. But 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 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 account for significant portions of long-term returns, with dividend contributions exceeding one-third of total returns in many cases.Middlesex Water in FocusBased in Iselin, Middlesex Water (MSEX) is in the Utilities sector, and so far this year, shares have seen a price change of 13.95%. The water utility is paying out a dividend of $0.34 per share at the moment, with a dividend yield of 2.27% compared to the Utility - Water Supply industry's yield of 2.53% and the S&P 500's yield of 1.6%.Taking a look at the company's dividend growth, its current annualized dividend of $1.36 is up 3.4% from last year. Middlesex Water has increased its dividend 5 times on a year-over-year basis over the last 5 years for an average annual increase of 6.20%. Future dividend growth will depend on earnings growth as well as payout ratio, which is the proportion of a company's annual earnings per share that it pays out as a dividend. Middlesex Water's current payout ratio is 55%. This means it paid out 55% of its trailing 12-month EPS as dividend.MSEX is expecting earnings to expand this fiscal year as well. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2025 is $2.50 per share, which represents a year-over-year growth rate of 1.21%.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.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 have to be mindful of the fact that high-yielding stocks tend to struggle during periods of rising interest rates. That said, they can take comfort from the fact that MSEX is not only an attractive dividend play, but is also a compelling investment opportunity with a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 DaysJust released: Experts distill 7 elite stocks from the current list of 220 Zacks Rank #1 Strong Buys. They deem these tickers "Most Likely for Early Price Pops."Since 1988, the full list has beaten the market more than 2X over with an average gain of +24.3% per year. So be sure to give these hand picked 7 your immediate attention. See them 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 Middlesex Water Company (MSEX): 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