This dividend is set to rise in 2021

Article Excerpt

J.P. MORGAN CHASE & CO. $121 is still a buy. The bank (New York symbol JPM; Conservative-Growth Payer Portfolio, Finance sector; Shares o/s: 3.1 billion; Market cap: $375.1 billion; Dividend yield: 3.0%; Divd. Sustainability Rating: Above Average; www.jpmorganchase.com) last raised its quarterly dividend with the October 2019 payment by 12.5%, to $0.90 a share. The annual rate of $3.60 yields 3.0%. Due to COVID-19, U.S. regulators have directed banks to suspend share buybacks and delay any dividend increases until the end of 2020. However, the bank set aside just $611 million in the third quarter of 2020 for possible bad loans. That’s down 59.6% from $1.51 billion a year earlier. The latest provisions are also a big improvement over Morgan’s second-quarter charge of $10.47 billion. If those provisions continue to improve, Morgan should resume dividend hikes in 2021. J.P. Morgan Chase is a buy. buy…