Is Capgemini SE (EPA:CAP) A Smart Pick For Income Investors?

Dividends play an important role in compounding returns in the long run and end up forming a sizeable part of investment returns. Historically, Capgemini SE (EPA:CAP) has paid a dividend to shareholders. It currently yields 1.6%. Does Capgemini tick all the boxes of a great dividend stock? Below, I'll take you through my analysis.

View our latest analysis for Capgemini

Here's how I find good dividend stocks

If you are a dividend investor, you should always assess these five key metrics:

• Is their annual yield among the top 25% of dividend payers?
• Does it consistently pay out dividends without missing a payment of significantly cutting payout?
• Has it increased its dividend per share amount over the past?
• Is its earnings sufficient to payout dividend at the current rate?
• Will it have the ability to keep paying its dividends going forward?

How well does Capgemini fit our criteria?

The current trailing twelve-month payout ratio for the stock is 39%, which means that the dividend is covered by earnings. However, going forward, analysts expect CAP's payout to fall to 30% of its earnings. Assuming a constant share price, this equates to a dividend yield of 1.9%. However, EPS should increase to €5.47, meaning that the lower payout ratio does not necessarily implicate a lower dividend payment.

When assessing the forecast sustainability of a dividend it is also worth considering the cash flow of the business. A company with strong cash flow, relative to earnings, can sometimes sustain a high pay out ratio.

If there's one type of stock you want to be reliable, it's dividend stocks and their stable income-generating ability. Although CAP's per share payments have increased in the past 10 years, it has not been a completely smooth ride. Shareholders would have seen a few years of reduced payments in this time.

Compared to its peers, Capgemini produces a yield of 1.6%, which is on the low-side for IT stocks.

Next Steps:

If you are building an income portfolio, then Capgemini is a complicated choice since it has some positive aspects as well as negative ones. But if you are not exclusively a dividend investor, the stock could still be an interesting investment opportunity. Given that this is purely a dividend analysis, I recommend taking sufficient time to understand its core business and determine whether the company and its investment properties suit your overall goals. I've put together three relevant factors you should look at:

1. Future Outlook: What are well-informed industry analysts predicting for CAP’s future growth? Take a look at our free research report of analyst consensus for CAP’s outlook.
2. Valuation: What is CAP worth today? Even if the stock is a cash cow, it's not worth an infinite price. The intrinsic value infographic in our free research report helps visualize whether CAP is currently mispriced by the market.
3. Dividend Rockstars: Are there better dividend payers with stronger fundamentals out there? Check out our free list of these great stocks here.

We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.

If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.