Equitable Holdings, Inc. EQH recently approved an 11.1% increase in its quarterly dividend, raising the payout to 30 cents per share from 27 cents earlier. The dividend will be paid on June 8, 2026, to shareholders on record as of June 1. At the new annualized rate of $1.20 per share, the stock offers a dividend yield of 2.83%, calculated based on the closing price on May 20, which is comfortably above the industry average of 2.51%.
The company also declared preferred stock dividends, including $328.13 per share on its Series A 5.25% Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock and $268.75 per share on its Series C 4.30% Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock.
Equitable Holdings’ balance sheet continues to support its shareholder-friendly approach. The company ended the first quarter of 2026 with nearly $131.6 billion in investments and cash, while long-term debt remained relatively modest at $3.8 billion. Operating cash flow came in at $499 million during the quarter, sharply higher than the $158 million reported a year earlier.
Shareholder returns remained a priority in the March quarter. Equitable Holdings paid $76 million in cash dividends and bought back $147 million worth of shares. Management continues to target a 60-70% payout ratio of non-GAAP operating earnings in 2026.
Beyond capital returns, EQH is preparing for a transformative combination with Corebridge Financial, Inc. CRBG. The all-stock merger, announced in March, is expected to create a company with nearly $1.5 trillion in assets under management. The combined entity will retain the Equitable name, trade under the EQH ticker on the NYSE, and be headquartered in Houston.
EQH’s Price Performance
Shares of Equitable Holdings have declined 11% in the year-to-date period, underperforming the industry’s 3.7% fall.
Zacks Rank & Key Picks
Equitable Holdings currently has a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell).
Investors interested in the broader Finance space can look at some better-ranked stocks like Slide Insurance Holdings, Inc. SLDE and CNO Financial Group, Inc. CNO, each carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Slide Insurance’s 2026 earnings indicates 4.5% year-over-year growth. It has witnessed two upward estimate revisions in the past month against no downward movement. It beat earnings estimates in each of the past four quarters, with an average surprise of 41.8%. Furthermore, the consensus estimate for Slide Insurance’s 2026 revenues implies 25.9% year-over-year growth.
The consensus mark for CNO Financial’s 2026 full-year earnings indicates 6.9% year-over-year growth. It beat earnings estimates in each of the past four quarters, with an average surprise of 16.9%. Also, the consensus mark for CNO Financial’s 2026 revenues is pegged at $3.99 billion.
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CNO Financial Group, Inc. (CNO): Free Stock Analysis Report
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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).