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Investors can buy stakes in a number of publicly listed insurance companies. It’s often considered a recession-proof business because no matter how the economy is doing, most people are obligated to maintain their coverage.
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Not to mention, some insurance companies pay out generous dividends to shareholders.
So if you’re not happy with the premiums you pay every month, collecting regular dividends from one of these three companies might be a small way to get even.
Chubb (CB)
Chubb is one of the largest property and casualty (P&C) insurers in the world. Headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, the company has operations in 54 countries and territories.
And it’s still growing. In the third quarter of 2021, Chubb’s P&C net premiums written grew 16.9% globally, driven by a 22% increase in commercial lines.
Net income totaled $1.83 billion for the quarter, marking a substantial improvement from the $1.19 billion earned in the year-ago period.
The best part? Chubb has been raising its dividend for 28 consecutive years. The company currently offers an annual yield of 1.6%.
Yes, Chubb trades at $200 per share. But many investing apps offer fractional shares, allowing you to buy a smaller piece of the company with as much money as you are willing to spend.
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Allstate (ALL)
Illinois-based Allstate is a major player in the U.S. P&C insurance sector.
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In 2020, the company generated $44.8 billion of revenue, which was 0.3% higher than 2019 — not bad given the extraordinary environment brought by the pandemic.
Things continued to improve in 2021. According to the latest earnings report, Allstate earned $12.5 billion of revenue in Q3, representing a 16.9% increase year-over-year.
The most impressive part, though, is the amount of cash the company is returning to shareholders.
In February 2021, Allstate boosted its quarterly dividend by 50% to 81 cents per share. At the current share price, that translates to an annual yield of 2.6%.
Allstate is also buying back its shares — an act that reduces the number of shares outstanding, thus giving remaining shareholders larger ownership of the company. In the 12 months ended Sept. 30, the company reduced its common shares outstanding by more than 5%.
Cincinnati Financial (CINF)
To see just how resilient an insurance business can be, all you need to do is take a look at Cincinnati Financial.
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While the Ohio-based P&C insurer may not be as well-known as the other two companies, it is a dividend king — a title reserved for companies that have increased dividends for at least 50 years in a row.
In fact, Cincinnati Financial is overqualified, as the company has raised its payout for 61 consecutive years.
With a quarterly dividend rate of 63 cents per share, the stock currently yields 2.1%.
In Q3 of 2021, the company earned an adjusted operating income of $209 million, or $1.28 per share — a vast improvement from the year-ago period’s $63 million, or 39 cents per share.
CINF stock has also received more investor attention, gaining 35% over the past 12 months.
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Jing is an investment reporter for Moneywise. He is an avid advocate of investing for passive income. Despite the ups and downs he’s been through with the markets, Jing believes that you can generate a steadily increasing income stream by investing in high quality companies.
