DFDS (CPH:DFDS) Is Paying Out A Larger Dividend Than Last Year

DFDS A/S' (CPH:DFDS) periodic dividend will be increasing on the 27th of March to DKK5.00, with investors receiving 25% more than last year's DKK4.00. This takes the annual payment to 1.5% of the current stock price, which unfortunately is below what the industry is paying.

Check out our latest analysis for DFDS

DFDS' Payment Has Solid Earnings Coverage

While yield is important, another factor to consider about a company's dividend is whether the current payout levels are feasible. However, prior to this announcement, DFDS' dividend was comfortably covered by both cash flow and earnings. This means that most of what the business earns is being used to help it grow.

Over the next year, EPS is forecast to expand by 39.2%. If the dividend continues along recent trends, we estimate the payout ratio will be 11%, which is in the range that makes us comfortable with the sustainability of the dividend.

Dividend Volatility

The company has a long dividend track record, but it doesn't look great with cuts in the past. Since 2013, the dividend has gone from DKK2.80 total annually to DKK4.00. This implies that the company grew its distributions at a yearly rate of about 3.6% over that duration. The dividend has seen some fluctuations in the past, so even though the dividend was raised this year, we should remember that it has been cut in the past.

DFDS May Find It Hard To Grow The Dividend

Given that the dividend has been cut in the past, we need to check if earnings are growing and if that might lead to stronger dividends in the future. However, DFDS has only grown its earnings per share at 2.9% per annum over the past five years. While growth may be thin on the ground, DFDS could always pay out a higher proportion of earnings to increase shareholder returns.

In Summary

In summary, it's great to see that the company can raise the dividend and keep it in a sustainable range. The dividend has been at reasonable levels historically, but that hasn't translated into a consistent payment. The payment isn't stellar, but it could make a decent addition to a dividend portfolio.

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. For instance, we've picked out 1 warning sign for DFDS that investors should take into consideration. 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.