Yahoo Finance Westpac Banking's (ASX:WBC) Dividend Will Be Increased To AU$0.61
Westpac Banking Corporation (ASX:WBC) has announced that it will be increasing its dividend on the 24th of June to AU$0.61. This takes the annual payment to 5.0% of the current stock price, which is about average for the industry.
Check out our latest analysis for Westpac Banking
Westpac Banking's Dividend Is Well Covered By Earnings
We like a dividend to be consistent over the long term, so checking whether it is sustainable is important. Before making this announcement, Westpac Banking was paying out a fairly large proportion of earnings, and it wasn't generating positive free cash flows either. We think that this practice can make the dividend quite risky in the future.
The next year is set to see EPS grow by 15.8%. Under the assumption that the dividend will continue along recent trends, we think the payout ratio could be 58% which would be quite comfortable going to take the dividend forward.
Dividend Volatility
Although the company has a long dividend history, it has been cut at least once in the last 10 years. Since 2012, the dividend has gone from AU$1.60 to AU$1.22. The dividend has shrunk at around 2.7% a year during that period. A company that decreases its dividend over time generally isn't what we are looking for.
Dividend Growth May Be Hard To Come By
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. In the last five years, Westpac Banking's earnings per share has shrunk at approximately 7.1% per annum. 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.
Westpac Banking's Dividend Doesn't Look Sustainable
In summary, while it's always good to see the dividend being raised, we don't think Westpac Banking's payments are rock solid. The track record isn't great, and the payments are a bit high to be considered sustainable. This company is not in the top tier of income providing stocks.
It's important to note that companies having a consistent dividend policy will generate greater investor confidence than those having an erratic one. At the same time, there are other factors our readers should be conscious of before pouring capital into a stock. As an example, we've identified 1 warning sign for Westpac Banking that you should be aware of before investing. Is Westpac Banking not quite the opportunity you were looking for? Why not check out our selection of top 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.
