National Grid (LON:NG.) Is Increasing Its Dividend To £0.1784

The board of National Grid plc (LON:NG.) has announced that it will be paying its dividend of £0.1784 on the 11th of January, an increased payment from last year's comparable dividend. This makes the dividend yield 5.1%, which is above the industry average.

Our analysis indicates that NG. is potentially undervalued!

National Grid's Earnings Easily Cover The Distributions

If the payments aren't sustainable, a high yield for a few years won't matter that much. Before making this announcement, National Grid was earning enough to cover the dividend, but it wasn't generating any free cash flows. No cash flows could definitely make returning cash to shareholders difficult, or at least mean the balance sheet will come under pressure.

Over the next year, EPS is forecast to fall by 5.3%. If the dividend continues along recent trends, we estimate the payout ratio could be 69%, which we consider to be quite comfortable, with most of the company's earnings left over to grow the business in the future.

National Grid Has A Solid Track Record

The company has been paying a dividend for a long time, and it has been quite stable which gives us confidence in the future dividend potential. Since 2012, the annual payment back then was £0.429, compared to the most recent full-year payment of £0.516. This works out to be a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 1.9% a year over that time. Dividends have grown relatively slowly, which is not great, but some investors may value the relative consistency of the dividend.

The Dividend Looks Likely To Grow

Investors could be attracted to the stock based on the quality of its payment history. National Grid has impressed us by growing EPS at 12% per year over the past five years. The lack of cash flows does make us a bit cautious though, especially when it comes to the future of the dividend.

In Summary

Overall, we always like to see the dividend being raised, but we don't think National Grid will make a great income stock. With cash flows lacking, it is difficult to see how the company can sustain a dividend payment. Overall, we don't think this company has the makings of a good income stock.

It's important to note that companies having a consistent dividend policy will generate greater investor confidence than those having an erratic one. However, there are other things to consider for investors when analysing stock performance. Case in point: We've spotted 2 warning signs for National Grid (of which 1 is a bit unpleasant!) you should know about. 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.