Yahoo Finance Lamb Weston Holdings' (NYSE:LW) Dividend Will Be Increased To US$0.24
Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:LW) has announced that it will be increasing its dividend on the 4th of March to US$0.24. This takes the annual payment to 1.4% of the current stock price, which unfortunately is below what the industry is paying.
Check out our latest analysis for Lamb Weston Holdings
Lamb Weston Holdings' Payment Has Solid Earnings Coverage
The dividend yield is a little bit low, but sustainability of the payments is also an important part of evaluating an income stock. However, Lamb Weston Holdings' earnings easily cover the dividend. This means that most of its earnings are being retained to grow the business.
Looking forward, earnings per share is forecast to rise by 63.4% over the next year. If the dividend continues on this path, the payout ratio could be 48% by next year, which we think can be pretty sustainable going forward.
Lamb Weston Holdings Doesn't Have A Long Payment History
The dividend's track record has been pretty solid, but with only 5 years of history we want to see a few more years of history before making any solid conclusions. The first annual payment during the last 5 years was US$0.75 in 2017, and the most recent fiscal year payment was US$0.98. This works out to be a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 5.5% a year over that time. Lamb Weston Holdings has a nice track record of dividend growth but we would wait until we see a longer track record before getting too confident.
Dividend Growth Is Doubtful
Investors who have held shares in the company for the past few years will be happy with the dividend income they have received. However, initial appearances might be deceiving. It's not great to see that Lamb Weston Holdings' earnings per share has fallen at approximately 9.0% per year over the past five years. A modest decline in earnings isn't great, and it makes it quite unlikely that the dividend will grow in the future unless that trend can be reversed. However, the next year is actually looking up, with earnings set to rise. We would just wait until it becomes a pattern before getting too excited.
In Summary
Overall, this is probably not a great income stock, even though the dividend is being raised at the moment. In the past, the payments have been unstable, but over the short term the dividend could be reliable, with the company generating enough cash to cover it. Overall, we don't think this company has the makings of a good income stock.
Market movements attest to how highly valued a consistent dividend policy is compared to one which is more unpredictable. However, there are other things to consider for investors when analysing stock performance. For example, we've identified 4 warning signs for Lamb Weston Holdings (1 can't be ignored!) that you should be aware of before investing. We have also put together a list of global stocks with a solid dividend.
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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.
