Merck KGaA (ETR:MRK) Will Pay A Dividend Of €2.20

Merck KGaA (ETR:MRK) will pay a dividend of €2.20 on the 2nd of May. The dividend yield is 1.5% based on this payment, which is a little bit low compared to the other companies in the industry.

See our latest analysis for Merck KGaA

Merck KGaA's Dividend Is Well Covered By Earnings

The dividend yield is a little bit low, but sustainability of the payments is also an important part of evaluating an income stock. Before making this announcement, Merck KGaA was easily earning enough to cover the dividend. As a result, a large proportion of what it earned was being reinvested back into the business.

The next year is set to see EPS grow by 38.1%. If the dividend continues along recent trends, we estimate the payout ratio will be 27%, which is in the range that makes us comfortable with the sustainability of the dividend.

Merck KGaA 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 annual payment during the last 10 years was €0.95 in 2014, and the most recent fiscal year payment was €2.20. This implies that the company grew its distributions at a yearly rate of about 8.8% over that duration. The dividend has been growing very nicely for a number of years, and has given its shareholders some nice income in their portfolios.

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. We are encouraged to see that Merck KGaA has grown earnings per share at 21% per year over the past five years. A low payout ratio gives the company a lot of flexibility, and growing earnings also make it very easy for it to grow the dividend.

Merck KGaA Looks Like A Great Dividend Stock

Overall, we like to see the dividend staying consistent, and we think Merck KGaA might even raise payments in the future. The company is easily earning enough to cover its dividend payments and it is great to see that these earnings are being translated into cash flow. All of these factors considered, we think this has solid potential as a dividend stock.

Market movements attest to how highly valued a consistent dividend policy is compared to one which is more unpredictable. Meanwhile, despite the importance of dividend payments, they are not the only factors our readers should know when assessing a company. Companies that are growing earnings tend to be the best dividend stocks over the long term. See what the 14 analysts we track are forecasting for Merck KGaA for free with public analyst estimates for the company. If you are a dividend investor, you might also want to look at our curated list of high yield 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.