Why Citigroup (C) is a Great Dividend Stock Right Now

Group 1: Company Overview - Citigroup is headquartered in New York and operates in the Finance sector, with a stock price change of 19.25% since the beginning of the year [3] - The company currently pays a dividend of $0.56 per share, resulting in a dividend yield of 2.67%, which is significantly higher than the Financial - Investment Bank industry's yield of 0.85% and the S&P 500's yield of 1.52% [3] Group 2: Dividend Analysis - Citigroup's annualized dividend of$ 2.24 has increased by 2.8% from the previous year, with an average annual increase of 1.58% over the last 5 years [4] - The company's current payout ratio is 38%, indicating that it paid out 38% of its trailing 12-month earnings per share as dividends [4] Group 3: Earnings Growth Expectations - For the fiscal year, Citigroup expects solid earnings growth, with the Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2025 projected at $7.53 per share, reflecting a year-over-year growth rate of 26.55% [5] Group 4: Investment Appeal - Citigroup is viewed as an attractive dividend play and a compelling investment opportunity, currently holding a Zacks Rank of 1 (Strong Buy) [7]