Barclays' (LON:BARC) Upcoming Dividend Will Be Larger Than Last Year's

Barclays PLC (LON:BARC) will increase its dividend on the 3rd of April to £0.053, which is 6.0% higher than last year's payment from the same period of £0.05. Even though the dividend went up, the yield is still quite low at only 4.9%.

Check out our latest analysis for Barclays

Barclays' Earnings Will Easily Cover The Distributions

The dividend yield is a little bit low, but sustainability of the payments is also an important part of evaluating an income stock.

Having distributed dividends for at least 10 years, Barclays has a long history of paying out a part of its earnings to shareholders. Past distributions do not necessarily guarantee future ones, but Barclays' payout ratio of 29% is a good sign as this means that earnings decently cover dividends.

Looking forward, EPS is forecast to rise by 46.4% over the next 3 years. Analysts estimate the future payout ratio will be 30% over the same time period, 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 2014, the annual payment back then was £0.065, compared to the most recent full-year payment of £0.08. This works out to be a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 2.1% a year over that time. Modest growth in the dividend is good to see, but we think this is offset by historical cuts to the payments. It is hard to live on a dividend income if the company's earnings are not consistent.

The Dividend Looks Likely To Grow

Growing earnings per share could be a mitigating factor when considering the past fluctuations in the dividend. We are encouraged to see that Barclays has grown earnings per share at 25% per year over the past five years. 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.

We Really Like Barclays' Dividend

In summary, it is always positive to see the dividend being increased, and we are particularly pleased with its overall sustainability. Earnings are easily covering distributions, and the company is generating plenty of cash. Taking this all into consideration, this looks like it could be a good dividend opportunity.

Companies possessing a stable dividend policy will likely enjoy greater investor interest than those suffering from a more inconsistent approach. 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 Barclays that investors should take into consideration. 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.