While income investors constantly seek out stocks with growing dividend yields, they can also benefit from share buybacks. The share buybacks present an opportunity for investors to get capital gains in addition to current income. Currently, 80% of S&P 500 companies are buying back shares. Combine this with dividend yield and you can get a total yield of greater than 10% in 2014. We are presenting a series of stocks worth a look.
Ameriprise Financial (NYSE: AMP) has a projected share buyback yield of 14% and a current dividend yield of 1.95%. This provides investor a potential for a total yield of 15.95%. The stock has an equity summary score of 7.9 out of 10 for a BULLISH outlook. The stock has a 12 month price target of $104.
Ameriprise has a one-year dividend growth of 48%. The dividend has grown from $0.35 in Q3 2012 to the current $0.52 in Q3 2013. The 5-year average annual dividend growth rate is 25%. AMP has a current dividend payout ratio of 36%.
Second-quarter 2013 net operating revenues were up 9%, year to year, on a 14% increase in management and advice fees and a 4% decline in net investment income. Assets under management and administration of $703 billion were up 7% from a year earlier, helped by market appreciation. We expect at least modest single digit annual revenue growth in 2013 and 2014, on a sustained pickup in asset inflows. We think the Annuities segment will continue to be under pressure from the low interest rate environment in the near term, and that Annuities and Protection segment revenues will be relatively stable over the next two years, holding back the company’s overall revenue growth rate.
Balancing fund underperformance and outflows, particularly in International equities, slower-than-expected margin improvement, and AMP’s commitment to return capital to shareholders, we believe the shares are appropriately valued. We have a positive view of AMP’s focus on the growing market of affluent households. We believe AMP is well positioned for long-term growth due to its shift toward the less capital-intensive and higher growth potential businesses of retirement planning advice and asset management, as well as a more international focus. Also, further economies of scale should be realized as integration of Columbia Management was nearly completed in 2012.