Why NBT Bancorp (NBTB) is a Top Dividend Stock for Your Portfolio
Cash flow can come from bond interest, interest from other types of investments, and of course, 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 make up large portions of long-term returns, and in many cases, dividend contributions surpass one-third of total returns.
Based in Norwich, NBT Bancorp (NBTB) is in the Finance sector, and so far this year, shares have seen a price change of -12.42%. Currently paying a dividend of $0.34 per share, the company has a dividend yield of 3.25%. In comparison, the Banks - Northeast industry's yield is 2.82%, while the S&P 500's yield is 1.57%.
Taking a look at the company's dividend growth, its current annualized dividend of $1.36 is up 3% from last year. NBT Bancorp has increased its dividend 4 times on a year-over-year basis over the last 5 years for an average annual increase of 5.73%. 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. NBT's current payout ratio is 44%. This means it paid out 44% of its trailing 12-month EPS as dividend.
Looking at this fiscal year, NBTB expects solid earnings growth. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2025 is $3.38 per share, which represents a year-over-year growth rate of 14.97%.
Investors like dividends for a variety of different reasons, from tax advantages and decreasing overall portfolio risk to considerably improving stock investing profits. But, not every company offers a quarterly payout.
For instance, it's a rare occurrence when a tech start-up or big growth business offers their shareholders a dividend. It's more common to see larger companies with more established profits give out dividends. During periods of rising interest rates, income investors must be mindful that high-yielding stocks tend to struggle. With that in mind, NBTB 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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Economic data: MBA Mortgage Applications (week ending Aug. 8) Earnings: Brinker International (EAT), Cisco (CSCO), Red Robin (RRGB) Here are some of the biggest stories you may have missed overnight and early this morning: Earnings live: Cava stock tumbles and CoreWeave slides Crypto is having a breakout summer — and bitcoin isn't the reason US leads markets higher as world adapts to tariff policy Dutch Bros eyes expansion as Starbucks battle heats up Investors playing more defense even as stocks climb to new highs US 30-year mortgage rate falls, refi applications surge Market gauges of volatility are fading despite high uncertainty China's $11T stock market stages steady resurgence Economic data: MBA Mortgage Applications (week ending Aug. 8) Earnings: Brinker International (EAT), Cisco (CSCO), Red Robin (RRGB) Here are some of the biggest stories you may have missed overnight and early this morning: Earnings live: Cava stock tumbles and CoreWeave slides Crypto is having a breakout summer — and bitcoin isn't the reason US leads markets higher as world adapts to tariff policy Dutch Bros eyes expansion as Starbucks battle heats up Investors playing more defense even as stocks climb to new highs US 30-year mortgage rate falls, refi applications surge Market gauges of volatility are fading despite high uncertainty China's $11T stock market stages steady resurgence Bitcoin isn't the reason for crypto's breakout summer The crypto world has had room to run this year amid a series of legislative wins and new financial initiatives. 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"The Nikkei was not able to hit a record until today because chip-related shares and auto shares dragged on the index," Takamasa Ikeda, senior portfolio manager at GCI Asset Management, told Reuters. The Nikkei 225, the primary index for the Tokyo Stock Exchange, is trading at all-time highs amid optimism that confusion over the recent US-Japan trade agreement is being addressed in addition to the renewed strength in Big Tech. Domestically, Japan's key auto industry is cautiously optimistic that the the positive will outweigh any drag coming from tariffs. "The Nikkei was not able to hit a record until today because chip-related shares and auto shares dragged on the index," Takamasa Ikeda, senior portfolio manager at GCI Asset Management, told Reuters. China's $11 trillion stock market stages steady resurgence Chinese stocks have risen in recent months, helped by strong domestic liquidity and despite a lack of major catalysts. Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. Chinese stocks have risen in recent months, helped by strong domestic liquidity and despite a lack of major catalysts. Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. The best points I have heard this morning on CoreWeave CoreWeave (CRWV) was teed up to let down investors last night. And it did on several fronts. First, the company's net loss was much higher than consensus. Second, capital expenditures were a whopping $1 billion higher sequentially. And third, capex may climb another $500 million in the current quarter. While I appreciate the company's revenue backlog of $30.1 billion doubled year over year, the company's mixed results and high debt load are real causes for concern. Hence, the sharp pre-market pullback. Here are two important call outs this morning from DA Davidson analyst Gil Luria: CoreWeave (CRWV) was teed up to let down investors last night. And it did on several fronts. First, the company's net loss was much higher than consensus. Second, capital expenditures were a whopping $1 billion higher sequentially. And third, capex may climb another $500 million in the current quarter. While I appreciate the company's revenue backlog of $30.1 billion doubled year over year, the company's mixed results and high debt load are real causes for concern. Hence, the sharp pre-market pullback. Here are two important call outs this morning from DA Davidson analyst Gil Luria: Cava crashing Cava (CAVA) is getting run over premarket to the tune of 23%. Bottom line on this one: When you are valued as a high-growth stock and you don't deliver high growth, your stock will take a beating. Same restaurant sales only rose 2.1%. The company slashed its full-year same-restaurant sales guidance. The earnings call wasn't exactly alarming — the company appears to still be structurally sound. But a slower economy and increased competition is weighing on the brand's results. We heard the same exact tone at Chipotle (CMG) and Starbucks (SBUX) this earnings season. The positive here: Cava is testing salmon for its menu. Who doesn't like salmon in a $15+ salad bowl?! Cava (CAVA) is getting run over premarket to the tune of 23%. Bottom line on this one: When you are valued as a high-growth stock and you don't deliver high growth, your stock will take a beating. Same restaurant sales only rose 2.1%. The company slashed its full-year same-restaurant sales guidance. The earnings call wasn't exactly alarming — the company appears to still be structurally sound. But a slower economy and increased competition is weighing on the brand's results. We heard the same exact tone at Chipotle (CMG) and Starbucks (SBUX) this earnings season. The positive here: Cava is testing salmon for its menu. Who doesn't like salmon in a $15+ salad bowl?!
