DiaSorin (BIT:DIA) Will Pay A Larger Dividend Than Last Year At €1.05

DiaSorin S.p.A. (BIT:DIA) will increase its dividend on the 25th of May to €1.05. Despite this raise, the dividend yield of 0.9% is only a modest boost to shareholder returns.

See our latest analysis for DiaSorin

DiaSorin's Payment Has Solid Earnings Coverage

The dividend yield is a little bit low, but sustainability of the payments is also an important part of evaluating an income stock. However, prior to this announcement, DiaSorin's dividend was comfortably covered by both cash flow and earnings. This means that most of its earnings are being retained to grow the business.

Over the next year, EPS is forecast to fall by 21.7%. If the dividend continues along the path it has been on recently, we estimate the payout ratio could be 26%, which is comfortable for the company to continue in the future.

DiaSorin Has A Solid Track Record

The company has a sustained record of paying dividends with very little fluctuation. The dividend has gone from €0.46 in 2012 to the most recent annual payment of €1.05. This works out to be a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 8.6% a year over that time. The growth of the dividend has been pretty reliable, so we think this can offer investors some nice additional income in their portfolio.

The Dividend Looks Likely To Grow

Some investors will be chomping at the bit to buy some of the company's stock based on its dividend history. We are encouraged to see that DiaSorin has grown earnings per share at 23% per year over the past five years. A low payout ratio gives the company a lot of flexibility, and growing earnings also make it very easy for it to grow the dividend.

DiaSorin Looks Like A Great Dividend Stock

Overall, a dividend increase is always good, and we think that DiaSorin is a strong income stock thanks to its track record and growing earnings. The company is generating plenty of cash, and the earnings also quite easily cover the distributions. We should point out that the earnings are expected to fall over the next 12 months, which won't be a problem if this doesn't become a trend, but could cause some turbulence in the next year. Taking this all into consideration, this looks like it could be a good dividend opportunity.

It's important to note that companies having a consistent dividend policy will generate greater investor confidence than those having an erratic one. Still, investors need to consider a host of other factors, apart from dividend payments, when analysing a company. Taking the debate a bit further, we've identified 2 warning signs for DiaSorin that investors need to be conscious of moving forward. 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.