Yahoo Finance United Internet (ETR:UTDI) Has Announced A Dividend Of €0.50
United Internet AG (ETR:UTDI) has announced that it will pay a dividend of €0.50 per share on the 23rd of May. Based on this payment, the dividend yield will be 3.5%, which is fairly typical for the industry.
While the dividend yield is important for income investors, it is also important to consider any large share price moves, as this will generally outweigh any gains from distributions. United Internet's stock price has reduced by 33% in the last 3 months, which is not ideal for investors and can explain a sharp increase in the dividend yield.
View our latest analysis for United Internet
United Internet's Payment Has Solid Earnings Coverage
We aren't too impressed by dividend yields unless they can be sustained over time. Prior to this announcement, United Internet's earnings easily covered the dividend, but free cash flows were negative. 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.
Over the next year, EPS is forecast to expand by 27.4%. If the dividend continues along recent trends, we estimate the payout ratio will be 18%, which is in the range that makes us comfortable with the sustainability of the dividend.
Dividend Volatility
While the company has been paying a dividend for a long time, it has cut the dividend at least once in the last 10 years. The dividend has gone from an annual total of €0.30 in 2013 to the most recent total annual payment of €0.50. This means that it has been growing its distributions at 5.2% per annum over that time. It's good to see the dividend growing at a decent rate, but the dividend has been cut at least once in the past. United Internet might have put its house in order since then, but we remain cautious.
Dividend Growth Is Doubtful
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. United Internet has seen earnings per share falling at 8.4% per year over the last 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. Earnings are predicted to grow over the next year, but we would remain cautious until a track record of earnings growth is established.
The Dividend Could Prove To Be Unreliable
Overall, it's nice to see a consistent dividend payment, but we think that longer term, the current level of payment might be unsustainable. With cash flows lacking, it is difficult to see how the company can sustain a dividend payment. We don't think United Internet is a great stock to add to your portfolio if income is your focus.
Market movements attest to how highly valued a consistent dividend policy is compared to one which is more unpredictable. Meanwhile, despite the importance of dividend payments, they are not the only factors our readers should know when assessing a company. For example, we've picked out 1 warning sign for United Internet that investors should know about before committing capital to this stock. 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.
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