The board of Arkema S.A. (EPA:AKE) has announced that it will be increasing its dividend on the 25th of May to €3.00. This takes the dividend yield from 2.7% to 2.7%, which shareholders will be pleased with.
Check out our latest analysis for Arkema
Arkema's Payment Has Solid Earnings Coverage
While it is great to have a strong dividend yield, we should also consider whether the payment is sustainable. Based on the last payment, Arkema was paying only paying out a fraction of earnings, but the payment was a massive 146% of cash flows. The business might be trying to strike a balance between returning cash to shareholders and reinvesting back into the business, but this high of a payout ratio could definitely force the dividend to be cut if the company runs into a bit of a tough spot.
EPS is set to fall by 49.1% over the next 12 months. If the dividend continues along recent trends, we estimate the payout ratio could be 35%, which we consider to be quite comfortable, with most of the company's earnings left over to grow the business in the future.
Arkema Has A Solid Track Record
Even over a long history of paying dividends, the company's distributions have been remarkably stable. The dividend has gone from €1.30 in 2012 to the most recent annual payment of €3.00. This means that it has been growing its distributions at 8.7% per annum over that time. Companies like this can be very valuable over the long term, if the decent rate of growth can be maintained.
The Dividend Looks Likely To Grow
The company's investors will be pleased to have been receiving dividend income for some time. Arkema has seen EPS rising for the last five years, at 28% per annum. Earnings have been growing rapidly, and with a low payout ratio we think that the company could turn out to be a great dividend stock.
In Summary
In summary, while it's always good to see the dividend being raised, we don't think Arkema's payments are rock solid. While the low payout ratio is 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.
Companies possessing a stable dividend policy will likely enjoy greater investor interest than those suffering from a more inconsistent approach. However, there are other things to consider for investors when analysing stock performance. Just as an example, we've come across 2 warning signs for Arkema you should be aware of, and 1 of them is a bit concerning. 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.
About ENXTPA:AKE
Arkema
Manufactures and sells specialty chemicals and advanced materials worldwide.
Undervalued with excellent balance sheet and pays a dividend.
