Whether it's through stocks, bonds, ETFs, or other types of securities, all investors love seeing their portfolios score big returns. However, when you're an income investor, your primary focus is generating consistent cash flow from each of your liquid investments.While cash flow can come from bond interest or interest from other types of investments, income investors hone in on dividends. A dividend is that coveted distribution of a company's earnings paid out to shareholders, and investors often view it by its dividend yield, a metric that measures the dividend as a percent of the current stock price. Many academic studies show that dividends make up large portions of long-term returns, and in many cases, dividend contributions surpass one-third of total returns.Hubbell in FocusHubbell (HUBB) is headquartered in Shelton, and is in the Industrial Products sector. The stock has seen a price change of 24.13% since the start of the year. The electrical products manufacturer is currently shelling out a dividend of $0.98 per share, with a dividend yield of 2.01%. This compares to the Manufacturing - Electrical Utilities industry's yield of 3.22% and the S&P 500's yield of 1.4%.In terms of dividend growth, the company's current annualized dividend of $3.92 is up 5.7% from last year. Hubbell has increased its dividend 5 times on a year-over-year basis over the last 5 years for an average annual increase of 9.06%. Any future dividend growth will depend on both earnings growth and the company's payout ratio; a payout ratio is the proportion of a firm's annual earnings per share that it pays out as a dividend. Hubbell's current payout ratio is 48%, meaning it paid out 48% of its trailing 12-month EPS as dividend.HUBB is expecting earnings to expand this fiscal year as well. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2021 is $8.70 per share, representing a year-over-year earnings growth rate of 14.78%.Bottom LineInvestors like dividends for many reasons; they greatly improve stock investing profits, decrease overall portfolio risk, and carry tax advantages, among others. However, not all companies offer a quarterly payout.For instance, it's a rare occurrence when a tech start-up or big growth business offers their shareholders a dividend. It's more common to see larger companies with more established profits give out dividends. Income investors have to be mindful of the fact that high-yielding stocks tend to struggle during periods of rising interest rates. With that in mind, HUBB is a compelling investment opportunity. Not only is it a strong dividend play, but the stock currently sits at a Zacks Rank of 3 (Hold). Bitcoin, Like the Internet Itself, Could Change Everything Blockchain and cryptocurrency has sparked one of the most exciting discussion topics of a generation. Some call it the “Internet of Money” and predict it could change the way money works forever. If true, it could do to banks what Netflix did to Blockbuster and Amazon did to Sears. Experts agree we’re still in the early stages of this technology, and as it grows, it will create several investing opportunities. Zacks’ has just revealed 3 companies that can help investors capitalize on the explosive profit potential of Bitcoin and the other cryptocurrencies with significantly less volatility than buying them directly. See 3 crypto-related stocks now >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Hubbell Inc (HUBB): Get Free Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here.