Solvay's (EBR:SOLB) Dividend Will Be Increased To €1.76

Solvay SA (EBR:SOLB) will increase its dividend from last year's comparable payment on the 19th of May to €1.76. This takes the annual payment to 3.8% of the current stock price, which is about average for the industry.

Check out our latest analysis for Solvay

Solvay's Earnings Easily Cover The Distributions

We aren't too impressed by dividend yields unless they can be sustained over time. However, Solvay's earnings easily cover the dividend. As a result, a large proportion of what it earned was being reinvested back into the business.

EPS is set to fall by 25.5% over the next 12 months. If the dividend continues along recent trends, we estimate the payout ratio could be 22%, which we consider to be quite comfortable, with most of the company's earnings left over to grow the business in the future.

Solvay Has A Solid Track Record

The company has a sustained record of paying dividends with very little fluctuation. Since 2013, the dividend has gone from €3.07 total annually to €4.05. This implies that the company grew its distributions at a yearly rate of about 2.8% over that duration. 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

Investors could be attracted to the stock based on the quality of its payment history. We are encouraged to see that Solvay has grown earnings per share at 20% per year over the past five years. Growth in EPS bodes well for the dividend, as does the low payout ratio that the company is currently reporting.

Solvay Looks Like A Great Dividend Stock

Overall, a dividend increase is always good, and we think that Solvay is a strong income stock thanks to its track record and growing earnings. The distributions are easily covered by earnings, and there is plenty of cash being generated as well. 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.

It's important to note that companies having a consistent dividend policy will generate greater investor confidence than those having an erratic one. 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 Solvay that investors should know about before committing capital to this stock. Looking for more high-yielding dividend ideas? Try our collection of strong dividend payers.

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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.