Why Univest (UVSP) is a Great Dividend Stock Right Now

Company Overview - Univest (UVSP) is headquartered in Souderton and operates in the Finance sector, with a year-to-date stock price change of 3.46% [3] - The company currently pays a dividend of $0.22 per share, resulting in a dividend yield of 2.88%, which is higher than the Banks - Northeast industry's yield of 2.69% and the S&P 500's yield of 1.48% [3] Dividend Performance - Univest's current annualized dividend of $0.88 has increased by 4.8% from the previous year [4] - Over the past 5 years, the company has raised its dividend twice, achieving an average annual increase of 1.61% [4] - The current payout ratio is 32%, indicating that the company distributes 32% of its trailing 12-month earnings per share as dividends [4] Earnings Growth - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Univest's earnings in 2025 is $2.76 per share, reflecting a year-over-year earnings growth rate of 10.40% [5] Investment Considerations - Univest is considered a compelling investment opportunity due to its strong dividend profile and current Zacks Rank of 3 (Hold) [6] - The company is positioned well in the context of rising interest rates, which typically challenge high-yielding stocks [6]