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The Weir Group PLC's (LON:WEIR) periodic dividend will be increasing on the 30th of May to £0.221, with investors receiving 6.3% more than last year's £0.208. Although the dividend is now higher, the yield is only 1.6%, which is below the industry average.
View our latest analysis for Weir Group
Weir Group's Payment Could Potentially Have Solid Earnings Coverage
It would be nice for the yield to be higher, but we should also check if higher levels of dividend payment would be sustainable. Before making this announcement, Weir Group was easily earning enough to cover the dividend. This means that most of what the business earns is being used to help it grow.
The next year is set to see EPS grow by 31.1%. If the dividend continues along recent trends, we estimate the payout ratio will be 23%, which is in the range that makes us comfortable with the sustainability of the dividend.
Dividend Volatility
The company has a long dividend track record, but it doesn't look great with cuts in the past. Since 2015, the annual payment back then was £0.42, compared to the most recent full-year payment of £0.387. Dividend payments have shrunk at a rate of less than 1% per annum over this time frame. Declining dividends isn't generally what we look for as they can indicate that the company is running into some challenges.
The Dividend Looks Likely To Grow
Growing earnings per share could be a mitigating factor when considering the past fluctuations in the dividend. Weir Group has impressed us by growing EPS at 17% per year over the past five years. With a decent amount of growth and a low payout ratio, we think this bodes well for Weir Group's prospects of growing its dividend payments in the future.
Weir Group Looks Like A Great Dividend Stock
In summary, it is always positive to see the dividend being increased, and we are particularly pleased with its overall sustainability. The company is easily earning enough to cover its dividend payments and it is great to see that these earnings are being translated into cash flow. All in all, this checks a lot of the boxes we look for when choosing an income stock.
Companies possessing a stable dividend policy will likely enjoy greater investor interest than those suffering from a more inconsistent approach. Meanwhile, despite the importance of dividend payments, they are not the only factors our readers should know when assessing a company. Companies that are growing earnings tend to be the best dividend stocks over the long term. See what the 15 analysts we track are forecasting for Weir Group for free with public analyst estimates for the company. If you are a dividend investor, you might also want to look at our curated list of high yield dividend stocks.
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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.