3 Stocks With More Than 300% Dividend Growth Over The Last 5 Years

Folks love to receive income in the form of dividends. In fact, many investors allocate a large portion of their funds towards investments that pay cash because the consistent income goes a long way in helping them to achieve their financial goals.

A stock with a higher cash payout relative to its share price will have a higher yield, and a higher yield means more cash given back to you for each dollar you invest with. Stocks with a dividend yield of 3% or greater are often called dividend stocks. Their high yields make them very attractive for shareholders who are looking to capture higher levels of income over the long run.

Of course, not all stocks boasting a high yield are worth putting money into. It is important to see that a corporation’s business can sustain the cash payouts it provides for investors over time.

Companies that can afford to keep paying their shareholders are great, but dividend stocks that have the potential to pay their shareholders more over time are even better. We have found three such stocks which have proven themselves with regards to growing dividend payouts significantly over the last five years. They also appear well-positioned to see continued dividend growth over the long run.

Cisco Systems Inc- (NASDAQ:CSCO)

Cisco designs and manufactures networking equipment which it sells to all kinds of companies around the world. The technology company provides products and services to retail, financial, and industrial companies. With its networking and IT solutions, Cisco seeks to transform business as we know it. The company is a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) and it has a market capitalization of $147.17 billion.

CSCO currently has a dividend yield of 3.55%, and growth metrics suggest that this company has room to boost its cash payouts to shareholders. Cisco’s earnings are forecasted to grow by 7.04% this year. It also boasts strong profits, and it has a trailing twelve month net margin of 20.72%. Many other peers within its industry are not as profitable, so Cisco stands out as a superior member within the computer networking industry.

Cisco consistently posts a high level of sales every year, and its gross profit margins are very high at about 60%. The corporation has also posted a high level of free cash flows over the years, and this suggests that this company can continue to increase its dividend payouts over time.

Host Hotels & Resorts Inc- (NYSE:HST)

Host Hotels & Resorts is a lodging real estate company that owns and holds controlling interests in luxury hotel properties which operate under premium brands. Some of these high-end properties include hotels such as Marriott, Westin, Ritz Carlton, and Hyatt. HST is a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) and it has a market cap of about $12.5 billion.

The corporation doles out a dividend with a 4.77% yield, and since 2011, the company’s cash payout per share has grown by over 470%. HST has a net margin of 11.87%, and its earnings are projected to grow by 9.23% this year.

What’s really promising about Host Hotels & Resorts is its ability to grow operating cash flows over each of the last five years. In fact, operating cash flows have grown by 75% since 2011. This has helped in improving the corporation’s free cash flows, which have been churned out at a high level over each of the last three years. The strong level of cash flows helps to affirm my belief that the company can afford to keep raising its dividend payout per share.

PacWest Bancorp- (NASDAQ:PACW)

PacWest is a bank based in Los Angeles. The company operates 60 full-service branches which engage in providing commercial banking services. These services include real estate, commercial, and construction loans. PacWest is a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), and it has a market cap of just $4.72 billion.

PACW’s dividend yields 5.09% for shareholders, and its dividend per share has grown by over 850% since 2011. This year, the company’s earnings and sales are forecasted to grow by 11.34% and 20.14% respectively.

PacWest has seen significant sales growth over the last three years. In fact, revenues have grown by over 200% since 2013. What makes PACW especially intriguing is the fact that net income growth has outpaced sales growth by a significant clip, with net income increasing by 566% since 2013.

Bottom Line

When you buy a stock before it raises its dividend payout, your dividend yield grows. In other words, picking up a stock that yields 3% today could provide 6% to you over the long run if it eventually doubles its payout per share. There are several companies like this out there, but they aren’t always easy to find. The key is to watch for companies that have cash flows growth which can sustain a higher yield. These kinds of investment prospects are also bound to see significant share price gains over time since investors love picking up stocks which provide high and sustainable levels of income.

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