Why NBT Bancorp (NBTB) is a Great Dividend Stock Right Now

Company Overview - NBT Bancorp (NBTB) is headquartered in Norwich and operates in the Finance sector, with a year-to-date stock price change of -16.98% [3] - The company currently pays a dividend of $0.34 per share, resulting in a dividend yield of 3.43%, which is higher than the Banks - Northeast industry's yield of 2.74% and the S&P 500's yield of 1.65% [3] Dividend Performance - NBT Bancorp's annualized dividend of$ 1.36 has increased by 3% from the previous year, with a historical average annual increase of 5.42% over the last 5 years [4] - The company's current payout ratio is 46%, indicating that it pays out 46% of its trailing 12-month earnings per share as dividends [4] Earnings Growth - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for NBT Bancorp's earnings per share for 2025 is $3.48, reflecting a year-over-year growth rate of 18.37% [5] Investment Considerations - NBT Bancorp is viewed as a compelling investment opportunity due to its strong dividend profile and current Zacks Rank of 3 (Hold) [7]