We recently published a list of Dividend Champions List: Top 15. In this article, we are going to take a look at where UGI Corporation (NYSE:UGI) stands in the dividend champions list.
In this dividend champions list, we will take a look at some of the best dividend stocks with at least 25 consecutive years of dividend growth and yields above 4%.
Dividend champions are companies that have raised their dividends for at least 25 years. While they share this trait with dividend aristocrats, the key difference is that dividend champions don’t need to be part of the S&P Index, whereas aristocrats do. Despite this distinction, what truly sets these stocks apart is their long-standing history of consistently increasing dividend payments to shareholders over time.
Dividend growth is one of the most appealing qualities a company can have in today’s market. Achieving 25 consecutive years of dividend increases is especially impressive, as these companies were able to boost their payouts even through challenging periods like the recent pandemic.
Although dividend stocks have lagged behind the market due to the growing prominence of tech stocks, the value of steady income remains irreplaceable. Dividend stocks are unlikely to fall out of favor. Analysts continue to express confidence in their potential. Earlier this year, BofA predicted that dividend stocks are set for growth, noting they should perform well even if consumer spending slows or a full recovery doesn’t materialize. Subramanian from BofA added that if the Federal Reserve cuts rates or halts hikes, companies can maintain their dividends by borrowing at lower interest rates. The analyst also highlighted that income investors have plenty of options for investing in dividend-paying stocks, such as broad mutual funds or exchange-traded funds (ETFs). This provides a variety of avenues to tap into dividend income.
US companies have focused on paying dividends to shareholders due to their growing cash reserves. At the end of the fourth quarter of 2023, businesses held $3.61 trillion in cash and equivalents on their balance sheets. This marked a 2% decline from the end of 2021 but an 11% increase compared to 2022, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence. The substantial cash reserves held by US companies had a significant impact on their dividend payments. A report by Janus Henderson highlighted that US businesses paid shareholders $161.5 billion in dividends during the second quarter of 2024, marking an 8.6% increase on an underlying basis. Companies paying dividends for the first time this year made the largest contribution to this growth, raising the US underlying total by 3.6 percentage points. While these companies’ dividends are relatively small compared to their profits, they still contributed a notable $3.8 billion. Excluding this effect, the remaining companies in the index saw a 5.0% growth, which aligns more closely with the nation’s long-term trend. This surge from new dividend payers is expected to continue throughout the year, keeping US payout growth ahead of the global average. The report further mentioned that 96% of the companies either maintained or increased their dividends during the quarter.
When investing in dividend stocks, many investors tend to prioritize dividend yields. However, experts recommend focusing more on stocks with consistent dividend growth rather than simply chasing high yields, which may not always be sustainable. That said, dividend yields aren’t necessarily a bad option. A balanced approach that combines healthy yields with steady dividend growth can provide strong investment opportunities for investors. In this dividend champions list, we will take a look at the highest-yielding stocks with at least 25 consecutive years of dividend growth.
Our Methodology:
For this list, we looked at a group of over 150 dividend champions, which are known for raising dividends for 25 years or more. From this list, we chose companies with the highest dividend yields as of September 24 and arranged them in order from lowest to highest yield.
We also measured hedge fund sentiment around each stock according to Insider Monkey’s database of 912 funds as of Q2 2024. Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points. (see more details here).
A view of the skyline from an electricity pylon, to show the ubiquity of the companies energy products.
UGI Corporation (NYSE:UGI)
Dividend Yield as of September 24: 6.01%
UGI Corporation (NYSE:UGI) is an American natural gas and electric power distribution company that offers safe, reliable, and affordable energy to its consumers. The company has achieved one of its strongest year-to-date financial performances in over 140 years, driven by record earnings from its resilient, growth-focused natural gas operations and improved results from UGI International. Efforts to secure sustainable cost savings across the organization have also significantly boosted financial outcomes. Additionally, the company remains focused on stabilizing and optimizing the AmeriGas business by implementing cost-reduction measures and addressing inefficiencies.
In fiscal Q3 2024, UGI Corporation (NYSE:UGI) reported revenue of $1.4 billion, which fell by 17% from the same period last year. Despite recent challenges, the company remains focused on its long-term objectives, actively addressing the issues by utilizing all available resources. The board has prioritized restructuring and enhancing operations at AmeriGas, with a focus on retaining customers, increasing free cash flow, controlling costs, and maintaining disciplined capital allocation. Additionally, it has outlined a plan to return $1.3 billion to shareholders between fiscal 2024 and 2027.
First Pacific Advisors also mentioned reasons to invest in UGI Corporation (NYSE:UGI) in its Q1 2024 investor letter. Here is what the firm said:
“UGI Corporation (NYSE:UGI) owns gas utilities and pipelines in Pennsylvania and West Virginia and the largest propane distribution businesses in the United States and Europe. Despite its disparate parts, UGI has increased consolidated earnings at a relatively steady high- single-digit rate while distributing excess cash through dividends. UGI’s share price has declined because of a combination of poor execution and too much debt at AmeriGas, UGI’s U.S. propane business. On August 30, 2023 UGI announced a review of strategic alternatives. We believe the company’s stock price is attractive at less than 10x earnings, and we have been incrementally adding to the Fund’s position.”
UGI Corporation (NYSE:UGI) has raised its payouts for 37 years straight. The company currently pays a quarterly dividend of $0.375 per share and has a dividend yield of 6.01%, as of September 24.
At the end of Q2 2024, 32 hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey held stakes in UGI Corporation (NYSE:UGI), up from 29 in the previous quarter. The consolidated value of these stakes is over $310.6 million. With over 5.3 million shares, Zimmer Partners was the company’s leading stakeholder in Q2.
Overall, UGI ranks 6th on our list of dividend champions. While we acknowledge the potential for UGI as a investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than UGI but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.
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Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.