Univest Financial's (NASDAQ:UVSP) Dividend Will Be $0.21

Univest Financial Corporation (NASDAQ:UVSP) will pay a dividend of $0.21 on the 22nd of November. This means the annual payment is 5.2% of the current stock price, which is above the average for the industry.

Check out our latest analysis for Univest Financial

Univest Financial's Payment Expected To Have Solid Earnings Coverage

While it is great to have a strong dividend yield, we should also consider whether the payment is sustainable.

Univest Financial has established itself as a dividend paying company with over 10 years history of distributing earnings to shareholders. Taking data from its last earnings report, calculating for the company's payout ratio shows 31%, which means that Univest Financial would be able to pay its last dividend without pressure on the balance sheet.

EPS is set to fall by 33.5% over the next 3 years. However, as estimated by analysts, the future payout ratio could be 42% over the same time period, which we think the company can easily maintain.

historic-dividend

Univest Financial Has A Solid Track Record

The company has been paying a dividend for a long time, and it has been quite stable which gives us confidence in the future dividend potential. The dividend has gone from an annual total of $0.80 in 2013 to the most recent total annual payment of $0.84. Dividend payments have been growing, but very slowly over the period. Although we can't deny that the dividend has been remarkably stable in the past, the growth has been pretty muted.

The Dividend Looks Likely To Grow

Some investors will be chomping at the bit to buy some of the company's stock based on its dividend history. It's encouraging to see that Univest Financial has been growing its earnings per share at 13% a year over the past five years. A low payout ratio and decent growth suggests that the company is reinvesting well, and it also has plenty of room to increase the dividend over time.

Univest Financial Looks Like A Great Dividend Stock

Overall, we like to see the dividend staying consistent, and we think Univest Financial might even raise payments in the future. The earnings easily cover the company's distributions, and the company is generating plenty of cash. If earnings do fall over the next 12 months, the dividend could be buffeted a little bit, but we don't think it should cause too much of a problem in the long term. All of these factors considered, we think this has solid potential as a dividend stock.

Companies possessing a stable dividend policy will likely enjoy greater investor interest than those suffering from a more inconsistent approach. Still, investors need to consider a host of other factors, apart from dividend payments, when analysing a company. For example, we've picked out 1 warning sign for Univest Financial 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.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.

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.