Vicat (EPA:VCT) Will Pay A Larger Dividend Than Last Year At €2.00

The board of Vicat S.A. (EPA:VCT) has announced that it will be paying its dividend of €2.00 on the 2nd of May, an increased payment from last year's comparable dividend. This takes the dividend yield to 5.5%, which shareholders will be pleased with.

See our latest analysis for Vicat

Vicat's Dividend Is Well Covered By Earnings

If the payments aren't sustainable, a high yield for a few years won't matter that much. However, prior to this announcement, Vicat's dividend was comfortably covered by both cash flow and earnings. This means that most of its earnings are being retained to grow the business.

The next year is set to see EPS grow by 16.0%. If the dividend continues on this path, the payout ratio could be 30% by next year, which we think can be pretty sustainable going forward.

Vicat Has A Solid Track Record

The company has an extended history of paying stable dividends. The dividend has gone from an annual total of €1.50 in 2014 to the most recent total annual payment of €2.00. This implies that the company grew its distributions at a yearly rate of about 2.9% over that duration. Slow and steady dividend growth might not sound that exciting, but dividends have been stable for ten years, which we think makes this a fairly attractive offer.

The Dividend Looks Likely To Grow

Investors who have held shares in the company for the past few years will be happy with the dividend income they have received. It's encouraging to see that Vicat has been growing its earnings per share at 12% a year over the past five years. A low payout ratio and decent growth suggests that the company is reinvesting well, and it also has plenty of room to increase the dividend over time.

Vicat Looks Like A Great Dividend Stock

Overall, we think this could be an attractive income stock, and it is only getting better by paying a higher dividend this year. 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. To that end, Vicat has 2 warning signs (and 1 which makes us a bit uncomfortable) we think you should know about. Is Vicat not quite the opportunity you were looking for? Why not check out our selection of top 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.