Wall Street Is Sleeping on This High-Yield Cash Machine

Core Viewpoint - Prudential Financial's recent sell-off presents a significant investment opportunity despite analysts' lack of enthusiasm due to recent bad news [1] Group 1: Dividend Performance - Prudential has announced its 18th consecutive year of dividend increases, with a 4% year-over-year hike [5] - The company's dividend per share has doubled since 2016, and the forward dividend yield now exceeds 5.4% [5] - Prudential's dividend payout ratio is only 54%, indicating strong financial flexibility to maintain and grow dividends [6] Group 2: Recent Challenges - The company's Q4 update included an earnings miss and a voluntary 90-day suspension of new sales in Japan due to employee misconduct [7] - Prudential is taking steps to address issues in its Japanese operations, including replacing the CEO and compensating affected customers [8] - The suspension is expected to negatively impact Prudential's 2026 pre-tax adjusted operating income by $300 million to $350 million [9] Group 3: Business Performance - Despite challenges in Japan, Prudential's U.S. business is performing well, with operating income increasing by 22% year over year in Q4 to $1.05 billion [9]