Palfinger (VIE:PAL) Is Increasing Its Dividend To €1.05

Palfinger AG (VIE:PAL) has announced that it will be increasing its dividend from last year's comparable payment on the 18th of April to €1.05. This takes the dividend yield to 4.6%, which shareholders will be pleased with.

See our latest analysis for Palfinger

Palfinger's Dividend Is Well Covered By Earnings

Impressive dividend yields are good, but this doesn't matter much if the payments can't be sustained. Prior to this announcement, Palfinger's dividend was only 34% of earnings, however it was paying out 117% of free cash flows. While the business may be attempting to set a balanced dividend policy, a cash payout ratio this high might expose the dividend to being cut if the business ran into some challenges.

Over the next year, EPS is forecast to expand by 32.3%. If the dividend continues on this path, the payout ratio could be 27% by next year, which we think can be pretty sustainable going forward.

Dividend Volatility

Although the company has a long dividend history, it has been cut at least once in the last 10 years. The dividend has gone from an annual total of €0.41 in 2014 to the most recent total annual payment of €1.05. This works out to be a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 9.9% a year over that time. We have seen cuts in the past, so while the growth looks promising we would be a little bit cautious about its track record.

The Dividend Looks Likely To Grow

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. Palfinger has seen EPS rising for the last five years, at 15% per annum. With a decent amount of growth and a low payout ratio, we think this bodes well for Palfinger's prospects of growing its dividend payments in the future.

Our Thoughts On Palfinger's Dividend

In summary, while it's always good to see the dividend being raised, we don't think Palfinger's payments are rock solid. While the low payout ratio is a redeeming feature, this is offset by the minimal cash to cover the payments. We would be a touch cautious of relying on this stock primarily for the dividend income.

Investors generally tend to favour companies with a consistent, stable dividend policy as opposed to those operating an irregular one. At the same time, there are other factors our readers should be conscious of before pouring capital into a stock. Taking the debate a bit further, we've identified 2 warning signs for Palfinger that investors need to be conscious of moving forward. Looking for more high-yielding dividend ideas? Try our collection of strong dividend payers.

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.