Melexis' (EBR:MELE) Dividend Will Be €0.91

Melexis NV (EBR:MELE) will pay a dividend of €0.91 on the 20th of October. This makes the dividend yield 3.4%, which will augment investor returns quite nicely.

See our latest analysis for Melexis

Melexis' Earnings Easily Cover The Distributions

We like to see robust dividend yields, but that doesn't matter if the payment isn't sustainable. The last dividend was quite comfortably covered by Melexis' earnings, but it was a bit tighter on the cash flow front. The business is earning enough to make the dividend feasible, but the cash payout ratio of 84% indicates it is more focused on returning cash to shareholders than growing the business.

The next year is set to see EPS grow by 27.0%. Assuming the dividend continues along recent trends, we think the payout ratio could be 36% by next year, which is in a pretty sustainable range.

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 €0.60 total annually to €2.60. This implies that the company grew its distributions at a yearly rate of about 16% over that duration. Dividends have grown rapidly over this time, but with cuts in the past we are not certain that this stock will be a reliable source of income in the future.

Melexis Could Grow Its Dividend

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. Melexis has impressed us by growing EPS at 9.3% per year over the past five years. Earnings are on the uptrend, and it is only paying a small portion of those earnings to shareholders.

Our Thoughts On Melexis' Dividend

Overall, it's nice to see a consistent dividend payment, but we think that longer term, the current level of payment might be unsustainable. The low payout ratio is a redeeming feature, but generally we are not too happy with the payments Melexis has been making. We don't think Melexis 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. At the same time, there are other factors our readers should be conscious of before pouring capital into a stock. For example, we've picked out 1 warning sign for Melexis 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.