Royal Mail (LON:RMG) Will Pay A Larger Dividend Than Last Year At UK£0.13

Royal Mail plc's (LON:RMG) dividend will be increasing to UK£0.13 on 6th of September. This makes the dividend yield 13%, which is above the industry average.

View our latest analysis for Royal Mail

Royal Mail's Payment Has Solid Earnings Coverage

While it is great to have a strong dividend yield, we should also consider whether the payment is sustainable. Before making this announcement, Royal Mail was easily earning enough to cover the dividend. This means that most of what the business earns is being used to help it grow.

Over the next year, EPS is forecast to fall by 25.7%. If the dividend continues along the path it has been on recently, we estimate the payout ratio could be 74%, which is comfortable for the company to continue in the future.

Royal Mail's Dividend Has Lacked Consistency

It's comforting to see that Royal Mail has been paying a dividend for a number of years now, however it has been cut at least once in that time. This suggests that the dividend might not be the most reliable. Since 2014, the dividend has gone from UK£0.13 to UK£0.20. This implies that the company grew its distributions at a yearly rate of about 5.2% over that duration. We like to see dividends have grown at a reasonable rate, but with at least one substantial cut in the payments, we're not certain this dividend stock would be ideal for someone intending to live on the income.

The Dividend Looks Likely To Grow

Growing earnings per share could be a mitigating factor when considering the past fluctuations in the dividend. It's encouraging to see Royal Mail has been growing its earnings per share at 18% a year over the past five years. Royal Mail definitely has the potential to grow its dividend in the future with earnings on an uptrend and a low payout ratio.

Royal Mail 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 generating plenty of cash, and the earnings also quite easily cover the distributions. However, it is worth noting that the earnings are expected to fall over the next year, which may not change the long term outlook, but could affect the dividend payment in the next 12 months. All of these factors considered, we think this has solid potential as a dividend stock.

Investors generally tend to favour companies with a consistent, stable dividend policy as opposed to those operating an irregular one. At the same time, there are other factors our readers should be conscious of before pouring capital into a stock. To that end, Royal Mail has 3 warning signs (and 1 which is a bit unpleasant) we think you should know about. Looking for more high-yielding dividend ideas? Try our collection of strong dividend payers.

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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.