Unilever (LON:ULVR) Has Announced That It Will Be Increasing Its Dividend To €0.3722

Unilever PLC's (LON:ULVR) dividend will be increasing from last year's payment of the same period to €0.3722 on 9th of December. This will take the annual payment to 3.6% of the stock price, which is above what most companies in the industry pay.

Check out the opportunities and risks within the GB Personal Products industry.

Unilever's Dividend Is Well Covered By Earnings

While it is great to have a strong dividend yield, we should also consider whether the payment is sustainable. The last payment made up 76% of earnings, but cash flows were much higher. Since the dividend is just paying out cash to shareholders, we care more about the cash payout ratio from which we can see plenty is being left over for reinvestment in the business.

Over the next year, EPS is forecast to expand by 19.4%. Under the assumption that the dividend will continue along recent trends, we think the payout ratio could be 56% which would be quite comfortable going to take the dividend forward.

Dividend Volatility

The company's dividend history has been marked by instability, with at least one cut in the last 10 years. The dividend has gone from an annual total of €0.90 in 2012 to the most recent total annual payment of €1.63. This implies that the company grew its distributions at a yearly rate of about 6.1% over that duration. It's good to see the dividend growing at a decent rate, but the dividend has been cut at least once in the past. Unilever 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. However, Unilever has only grown its earnings per share at 2.5% per annum over the past five years. There are exceptions, but limited earnings growth and a high payout ratio can signal that a company has reached maturity. When the rate of return on reinvestment opportunities falls below a certain minimum level, companies often elect to pay a larger dividend instead. This is why many mature companies often have larger dividend yields.

In Summary

Overall, we always like to see the dividend being raised, but we don't think Unilever will make a great income stock. In the past, the payments have been unstable, but over the short term the dividend could be reliable, with the company generating enough cash to cover it. Overall, we don't think this company has the makings of a good income stock.

Companies possessing a stable dividend policy will likely enjoy greater investor interest than those suffering from a more inconsistent approach. Still, investors need to consider a host of other factors, apart from dividend payments, when analysing a company. As an example, we've identified 2 warning signs for Unilever 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.