All investors love getting big returns from their portfolio, whether it's through stocks, bonds, ETFs, or other types of securities. But for income investors, generating consistent cash flow from each of your liquid investments is your primary focus.Cash flow can come from bond interest, interest from other types of investments, and of course, 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 account for significant portions of long-term returns, with dividend contributions exceeding one-third of total returns in many cases.Janus Henderson Group plc in FocusBased in London, Janus Henderson Group plc (JHG) is in the Finance sector, and so far this year, shares have seen a price change of 30.82%. The company is currently shelling out a dividend of $0.38 per share, with a dividend yield of 3.57%. This compares to the Financial - Investment Management industry's yield of 1.6% and the S&P 500's yield of 1.36%.Looking at dividend growth, the company's current annualized dividend of $1.52 is up 5.6% from last year. In the past five-year period, Janus Henderson Group plc has increased its dividend 2 times on a year-over-year basis for an average annual increase of 10.11%. Looking ahead, future dividend growth will be dependent on earnings growth and payout ratio, which is the proportion of a company's annual earnings per share that it pays out as a dividend. Janus Henderson Group plc's current payout ratio is 40%, meaning it paid out 40% of its trailing 12-month EPS as dividend.Looking at this fiscal year, JHG expects solid earnings growth. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2021 is $4.06 per share, which represents a year-over-year growth rate of 34.88%.Bottom LineFrom greatly improving stock investing profits and reducing overall portfolio risk to providing tax advantages, investors like dividends for a variety of different reasons. But, not every company offers a quarterly payout.High-growth firms or tech start-ups, for example, rarely provide their shareholders a dividend, while larger, more established companies that have more secure profits are often seen as the best dividend options. Income investors have to be mindful of the fact that high-yielding stocks tend to struggle during periods of rising interest rates. That said, they can take comfort from the fact that JHG is not only an attractive dividend play, but is also a compelling investment opportunity with a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy). Zacks’ Top Picks to Cash in on Artificial Intelligence This world-changing technology is projected to generate $100S of billions by 2025. From self-driving cars to consumer data analysis, people are relying on machines more than we ever have before. Now is the time to capitalize on the 4th Industrial Revolution. Zacks’ urgent special report reveals 6 AI picks investors need to know about today.See 6 Artificial Intelligence Stocks With Extreme Upside Potential>>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 Janus Henderson Group plc (JHG): Get Free Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here.