Sun TV Network's (NSE:SUNTV) Dividend Will Be ₹5.00

Sun TV Network Limited (NSE:SUNTV) will pay a dividend of ₹5.00 on the 13th of December. This means the annual payment is 2.3% of the current stock price, which is above the average for the industry.

View our latest analysis for Sun TV Network

Sun TV Network's Payment Could Potentially Have Solid Earnings Coverage

A big dividend yield for a few years doesn't mean much if it can't be sustained. Before making this announcement, Sun TV Network was easily earning enough to cover the dividend. As a result, a large proportion of what it earned was being reinvested back into the business.

Looking forward, earnings per share is forecast to rise by 21.4% over the next year. If the dividend continues along recent trends, we estimate the payout ratio will be 28%, which is in the range that makes us comfortable with the sustainability of the dividend.

Dividend Volatility

Although the company has a long dividend history, it has been cut at least once in the last 10 years. The annual payment during the last 10 years was ₹9.50 in 2014, and the most recent fiscal year payment was ₹16.75. This means that it has been growing its distributions at 5.8% per annum 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. Sun TV Network might have put its house in order since then, but we remain cautious.

Sun TV Network Could Grow Its Dividend

With a relatively unstable dividend, it's even more important to see if earnings per share is growing. Sun TV Network has seen EPS rising for the last five years, at 5.6% per annum. Growth in EPS bodes well for the dividend, as does the low payout ratio that the company is currently reporting.

In Summary

In summary, we are pleased with the dividend remaining consistent, and we think there is a good chance of this continuing in the future. The payout ratio looks good, but unfortunately the company's dividend track record isn't stellar. This looks like it could be a good dividend stock going forward, but we would note that the payout ratio has been at higher levels in the past so it could happen again.

Investors generally tend to favour companies with a consistent, stable dividend policy as opposed to those operating an irregular one. Meanwhile, despite the importance of dividend payments, they are not the only factors our readers should know when assessing a company. Taking the debate a bit further, we've identified 1 warning sign for Sun TV Network that investors need to be conscious of moving forward. Looking for more high-yielding dividend ideas? Try our collection of strong dividend payers.

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