Shares of Zions Bancorporation ZION gained 1.7% on Monday as the company hiked its quarterly cash dividend by 4.9% to 43 cents per share. The dividend will be paid out on Nov. 21, 2024, to shareholders of record as of Nov. 15.

Before this, the bank increased its dividend by 7.9% to 41 cents per share in July 2022. The bank has increased its dividend thrice in the last five years, with a dividend payout ratio of 33%.

Based on its closing price of $52.02 as of Nov. 5, ZION’s current dividend yield is 3.3%.

Zions’ Other Capital Distribution Activities

Zions has an ongoing share repurchase program too. The plan, announced this February, authorized the buyback of up to $35 million worth of shares with no expiration date.  As of Sept. 30, 2024, no shares remained available under the authorization.

ZION has repurchased shares in the last three years, indicating an impressive capital distribution plan based on anticipated organic growth.

Our Take on ZION Stock

ZION enjoys a decent balance sheet position. As of Sept. 30, 2024, cash and due from banks were $1.1 billion and Federal funds and other short-term borrowings were $2.9 billion. Further, net loans were $58.2 billion and total deposits were $75.7 billion.

Further, at the end of the third quarter of 2024, its common equity Tier-1 risk-based capital ratio of 10.7% and the total risk-based capital ratio of 13.2% were well above regulatory requirements.

Given its decent capital and liquidity positions, ZION is expected to sustain its current capital distribution activities and enhance shareholder value.

Year to date, shares of Zions have risen 18.6% compared with the industry’s growth of 14.1%.

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Currently, ZION carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Other Banks That Announced Dividend Hike

Last month, Prosperity Bancshares, Inc. PB announced a quarterly cash dividend of 58 cents per share. This indicates an increase of 3.6% from the prior payout. The dividend will be paid out on Jan. 2, 2025, to shareholders of record as of Dec. 13, 2024.

PB has increased its dividend six times during the last five years with an annualized dividend growth of 5%. The bank has a dividend payout ratio of 45%.

Similarly, Bank OZK OZK announced a quarterly cash dividend of 41 cents per share. This indicates an increase of 2.5% from the prior payout. The dividend will be paid out on Oct. 18, 2024, to shareholders of record as of Oct. 11. This marks the 57th consecutive quarter of a dividend hike by OZK.

OZK’s impressive track record of consistently increasing dividends has earned it a place in the S&P High Yield Dividend Aristocrats index since January 2018. This index includes companies from the S&P Composite 1500 that have followed a disciplined dividend policy, raising their common stock dividends annually for at least 20 years while meeting minimum float-adjusted market capitalization and liquidity requirements.

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Zions Bancorporation, N.A. (ZION) : Free Stock Analysis Report

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