Yahoo Finance MTU Aero Engines' (ETR:MTX) Dividend Is Being Reduced To €2.00
MTU Aero Engines AG's (ETR:MTX) dividend is being reduced from last year's payment covering the same period to €2.00 on the 14th of May. This means that the annual payment is 0.9% of the current stock price, which is lower than what the rest of the industry is paying.
See our latest analysis for MTU Aero Engines
MTU Aero Engines' Earnings Easily Cover The Distributions
The dividend yield is a little bit low, but sustainability of the payments is also an important part of evaluating an income stock. Even though MTU Aero Engines isn't generating a profit, it is generating healthy free cash flows that easily cover the dividend. We generally think that cash flow is more important than accounting measures of profit, so we are fairly comfortable with the dividend at this level.
Looking forward, earnings per share is forecast to rise exponentially over the next year. Assuming the dividend continues along recent trends, we think the payout ratio will be 60%, which makes us pretty comfortable with the sustainability of the dividend.
Dividend Volatility
The company's dividend history has been marked by instability, with at least one cut in the last 10 years. Since 2014, the annual payment back then was €1.35, compared to the most recent full-year payment of €2.00. This works out to be a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 4.0% a year over that time. We're glad to see the dividend has risen, but with a limited rate of growth and fluctuations in the payments the total shareholder return may be limited.
The Dividend Has Limited Growth Potential
With a relatively unstable dividend, it's even more important to evaluate if earnings per share is growing, which could point to a growing dividend in the future. Earnings per share has been sinking by 25% over the last five years. This steep decline can indicate that the business is going through a tough time, which could constrain its ability to pay a larger dividend each year in the future. Over the next year, however, earnings are actually predicted to rise, but we would still be cautious until a track record of earnings growth can be built.
The Dividend Could Prove To Be Unreliable
In summary, dividends being cut isn't ideal, however it can bring the payment into a more sustainable range. The payments haven't been particularly stable and we don't see huge growth potential, but with the dividend well covered by cash flows it could prove to be reliable over the short term. We don't think MTU Aero Engines is a great stock to add to your portfolio if income is your focus.
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. Given that earnings are not growing, the dividend does not look nearly so attractive. See if the 15 analysts are forecasting a turnaround in our free collection of analyst estimates here. Looking for more high-yielding dividend ideas? Try our collection of strong dividend payers.
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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.
