Yahoo Finance National Bank of Canada (TSE:NA) Has Affirmed Its Dividend Of CA$0.71
The board of National Bank of Canada (TSE:NA) has announced that it will pay a dividend on the 1st of November, with investors receiving CA$0.71 per share. The dividend yield is 2.9% based on this payment, which is a little bit low compared to the other companies in the industry.
Check out our latest analysis for National Bank of Canada
National Bank of Canada's Payment Has Solid Earnings Coverage
While yield is important, another factor to consider about a company's dividend is whether the current payout levels are feasible. National Bank of Canada is quite easily earning enough to cover the dividend, however it is being let down by weak cash flows. In general, we consider cash flow to be more important than earnings, so we would be cautious about relying on the sustainability of this dividend.
The next year is set to see EPS grow by 6.9%. If the dividend continues along recent trends, we estimate the payout ratio will be 34%, which is in the range that makes us comfortable with the sustainability of the dividend.
National Bank of Canada Has A Solid Track Record
The company has an extended history of paying stable dividends. Since 2011, the dividend has gone from CA$1.32 to CA$2.84. This means that it has been growing its distributions at 8.0% per annum over that time. The growth of the dividend has been pretty reliable, so we think this can offer investors some nice additional income in their portfolio.
The Dividend Looks Likely To Grow
Investors could be attracted to the stock based on the quality of its payment history. National Bank of Canada has seen EPS rising for the last five years, at 19% per annum. With a decent amount of growth and a low payout ratio, we think this bodes well for National Bank of Canada's prospects of growing its dividend payments in the future.
Our Thoughts On National Bank of Canada's Dividend
Overall, it's nice to see a consistent dividend payment, but we think that longer term, the current level of payment might be unsustainable. While the low payout ratio is redeeming feature, this is offset by the minimal cash to cover the payments. We would probably look elsewhere for an income investment.
Investors generally tend to favour companies with a consistent, stable dividend policy as opposed to those operating an irregular one. Still, investors need to consider a host of other factors, apart from dividend payments, when analysing a company. Companies that are growing earnings tend to be the best dividend stocks over the long term. See what the 12 analysts we track are forecasting for National Bank of Canada for free with public analyst estimates for the company. We have also put together a list of global stocks with a solid dividend.
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.
Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.
