Yahoo Finance National Grid (LON:NG.) Is Increasing Its Dividend To UK£0.17
The board of National Grid plc (LON:NG.) has announced that the dividend on 19th of January will be increased to UK£0.17, which will be 1.2% higher than last year. This makes the dividend yield 5.0%, which is above the industry average.
Check out our latest analysis for National Grid
National Grid's Earnings Easily Cover the Distributions
We like to see robust dividend yields, but that doesn't matter if the payment isn't sustainable. Prior to this announcement, the company was paying out 115% of what it was earning. This situation certainly isn't ideal, and could place significant strain on the balance sheet if it continues.
Looking forward, earnings per share is forecast to rise by 58.9% over the next year. If the dividend continues along recent trends, we estimate the payout ratio will be 74%, which would make us comfortable with the sustainability of the dividend, despite the levels currently being quite high.
National Grid Has A Solid Track Record
Even over a long history of paying dividends, the company's distributions have been remarkably stable. The dividend has gone from UK£0.40 in 2011 to the most recent annual payment of UK£0.49. This implies that the company grew its distributions at a yearly rate of about 2.2% over that duration. Dividends have grown relatively slowly, which is not great, but some investors may value the relative consistency of the dividend.
The Dividend's Growth Prospects Are Limited
Investors could be attracted to the stock based on the quality of its payment history. However, things aren't all that rosy. National Grid has seen earnings per share falling at 2.9% per year over the last five years. If earnings continue declining, the company may have to make the difficult choice of reducing the dividend or even stopping it completely - the opposite of dividend growth. Earnings are forecast to grow over the next 12 months and if that happens we could still be a little bit cautious until it becomes a pattern.
National Grid's Dividend Doesn't Look Sustainable
In summary, while it's always good to see the dividend being raised, we don't think National Grid's payments are rock solid. In the past the payments have been stable, but we think the company is paying out too much for this to continue for the long term. Overall, we don't think this company has the makings of a good income stock.
It's important to note that companies having a consistent dividend policy will generate greater investor confidence than those having an erratic one. Meanwhile, despite the importance of dividend payments, they are not the only factors our readers should know when assessing a company. Just as an example, we've come across 3 warning signs for National Grid you should be aware of, and 1 of them is a bit concerning. If you are a dividend investor, you might also want to look at our curated list of high performing dividend stock.
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.
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