Morgan Stanley (MS) is a Top Dividend Stock Right Now: Should You Buy?

Company Overview - Morgan Stanley (MS) is based in New York and operates in the Finance sector, with a year-to-date share price change of 6.08% [2] - The company currently pays a dividend of $0.85 per share, resulting in a dividend yield of 3.44%, significantly higher than the Financial - Investment Bank industry's yield of 0.45% and the S&P 500's yield of 1.58% [2] Dividend Performance - Morgan Stanley's annualized dividend of $3.40 has increased by 4.6% from the previous year [2] - Over the past 5 years, the company has raised its dividend 4 times, achieving an average annual increase of 29.33% [2] - The current payout ratio is 59%, indicating that the company distributes 59% of its trailing 12-month earnings per share as dividends [2] Earnings Growth - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Morgan Stanley's earnings per share for 2024 is $6.83, reflecting a year-over-year growth rate of 25.09% [3] Investment Appeal - Dividends are favored by investors for various reasons, including enhancing stock investing profits and providing tax advantages [4] - Morgan Stanley is characterized as an attractive dividend play and a compelling investment opportunity, holding a Zacks Rank of 1 (Strong Buy) [4]