We recently compiled a list of the 10 Dividend Zombies and Kings with Longest Dividend Payouts. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Stanley Black & Decker, Inc. (NYSE:SWK) stands against the other dividend stocks.
Last year, artificial intelligence (AI) was the main focus in the markets, driving tech stocks to the forefront. These stocks rose by nearly 56%, accounting for the majority of the market’s gains. However, these trends quickly lose popularity once they emerge. Experienced long-term investors understand a crucial principle: while chasing short-term investment trends can often lead to disappointment, committing to a long-term strategy can yield success. As AI-related companies drove the market upward, the valuations of high dividend-paying companies quietly declined in comparison. It is not about attractive valuations of dividend stocks, these stocks also offer diversification benefits and the potential for a growing income stream, especially if the Fed decides to lower interest rates, making them a strong investment option. These stocks become more attractive when companies have a solid history of consistently paying and increasing their payouts. Read our list of Best Dividend Kings to Buy for Safe Dividend Growth.
Dividend zombies are companies that have paid dividends to shareholders for at least 100 consecutive years whereas dividend kings are companies boasting 50 years of dividend growth. Dividend growers have shown strong performance over the years, often surpassing the overall market returns. The Dividend Aristocrats index, which tracks the performance of companies with 25 consecutive years or more, has outperformed the broader market since its inception in 2005, with lower levels of volatility. Historically, the index has captured 90% of the market’s upward movements while experiencing only 82% of its declines. Currently, the Aristocrats are trading at a price-to-earnings multiple that is more than 10% lower than that of the broader market. This discount level has historically preceded prolonged periods of superior performance by the Aristocrats.
Since the end of 1989, there have been six calendar years where the broader market experienced negative performance. In each of these years, the Dividend Aristocrat index surpassed the performance of the broader equity benchmark by an average of 13.28%. Remarkably, the aristocrats delivered positive total returns in three of those years.
Given investors’ preference for dividend stocks, companies listed in the broader market indices are consistently increasing and sustaining their dividend payments. In the first quarter of 2024, the S&P’s main index distributed $151.6 billion in dividends, compared to $146.8 billion in Q1 2023. There were 796 reported dividend increases in the first quarter, totaling $22.7 billion, up from $19.7 billion in the prior-year period.
The impressive returns of dividend growers clearly demonstrate their strong performance. In this article, we will take a look at dividend zombies and dividend kings to invest in.
Our Methodology:
For this list, we selected companies that have paid dividends for over 100 years and also have strong dividend growth histories. Some of these companies are dividend kings, which means that they have raised their payouts for 50 years or more. We also considered the hedge fund sentiment around each stock, according to Insider Monkey’s database for Q1 2024. The stocks are ranked in ascending order of the consecutive years of dividend payments. Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points. (see more details here).
A toolbox filled with an array of different tools, representing the professional products of the company.
Stanley Black & Decker, Inc. (NYSE:SWK)
Consecutive Years of Dividend Payments: 147
Stanley Black & Decker, Inc. (NYSE:SWK) is a Connecticut-based manufacturing company that specializes in industrial tools and household hardware. On April 26, the company announced a quarterly dividend of $0.81 per share, which fell in line with its previous dividend. It has paid regular dividends to shareholders for the past 147 years and its dividend growth streak stands at 57 years. The stock has a dividend yield of 3.85%, as of June 20. SWK is among the dividend zombies on our list.
Stanley Black & Decker, Inc. (NYSE:SWK) surpassed analysts’ estimates in the first quarter of 2024. Its EPS of $0.56 and revenue of $3.87 billion beat analysts’ consensus by $0.01 and $35.7 million, respectively. Its revenue fell by nearly 2% on a year-over-year basis due to fluctuating demand. The company expects that varying demand trends will continue across its businesses in 2024. To address this, it is focusing on improving supply chain costs to increase margins, drive earnings growth, and generate strong cash flow. In addition, the company is investing in growth initiatives aimed at boosting innovation and unique market strategies to capitalize on promising long-term opportunities. Although the company reported mixed results, it remains confident in its balance sheet. This confidence is partly due to the success of its cost-reduction program. This cost-cutting program, which saved the company $145 million in Q1 2024, is projected to save $1.45 billion by the end of the year and $2 billion by the end of 2025.
Stanley Black & Decker, Inc. (NYSE:SWK) leads the market in the Tools & Outdoor segment, which saw its margin rise to 7.8%, a 720 basis point increase from the previous year. The segment’s revenue for the quarter fell slightly by 1% from the same period last year.
Insider Monkey’s database of Q1 2024 indicated that 31 hedge funds owned stakes in Stanley Black & Decker, Inc. (NYSE:SWK), which remained unchanged from the previous quarter. The collective value of these stakes is more than $715.3 million.
Overall SWK ranks 2nd on our list of the dividend zombies and kings with longest dividend payouts. You can visit 10 Dividend Zombies and Kings with Longest Dividend Payouts to see the other dividend stocks that are on hedge funds’ radar. While we acknowledge the potential of SWK as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that deeply undervalued dividend stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for a deeply undervalued dividend stock that is as promising as SWK but that trades at less than 7 times its earnings and yields nearly 10%, check out our report about the dirt cheap dividend stock.
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Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.