British American Tobacco's (LON:BATS) Shareholders Will Receive A Bigger Dividend Than Last Year

The board of British American Tobacco p.l.c. (LON:BATS) has announced that it will be increasing its dividend on the 4th of May to UK£0.54. The announced payment will take the dividend yield to 6.8%, which is in line with the average for the industry.

See our latest analysis for British American Tobacco

British American Tobacco's Dividend Is Well Covered By Earnings

We like to see a healthy dividend yield, but that is only helpful to us if the payment can continue. Before this announcement, British American Tobacco was paying out 73% of earnings, but a comparatively small 55% of free cash flows. In general, cash flows are more important than earnings, so we are comfortable that the dividend will be sustainable going forward, especially with so much cash left over for reinvestment.

Looking forward, earnings per share is forecast to rise by 10.2% over the next year. If the dividend continues along recent trends, we estimate the payout ratio will be 70%, which is in the range that makes us comfortable with the sustainability of the dividend.

Dividend Volatility

The company's dividend history has been marked by instability, with at least 1 cut in the last 10 years. The first annual payment during the last 10 years was UK£1.14 in 2012, and the most recent fiscal year payment was UK£2.18. This works out to be a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 6.7% a year over that time. It's good to see the dividend growing at a decent rate, but the dividend has been cut at least once in the past. British American Tobacco might have put its house in order since then, but we remain cautious.

The Dividend's Growth Prospects Are Limited

Growing earnings per share could be a mitigating factor when considering the past fluctuations in the dividend. Earnings per share has been crawling upwards at 3.5% per year. There are exceptions, but limited earnings growth and a high payout ratio can signal that a company has reached maturity. When a company prefers to pay out cash to its shareholders instead of reinvesting it, this can often say a lot about that company's dividend prospects.

In Summary

In summary, it's great to see that the company can raise the dividend and keep it in a sustainable range. The payout ratio looks good, but unfortunately the company's dividend track record isn't stellar. The payment isn't stellar, but it could make a decent addition to a dividend portfolio.

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. As an example, we've identified 2 warning signs for British American Tobacco that you should be aware of before investing. 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.