Unipol Gruppo (BIT:UNI) Is Paying Out A Larger Dividend Than Last Year

Unipol Gruppo S.p.A. (BIT:UNI) has announced that it will be increasing its dividend on the 25th of May to €0.30. This makes the dividend yield 11%, which is above the industry average.

See our latest analysis for Unipol Gruppo

Unipol Gruppo'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. Based on the last payment, Unipol Gruppo was quite comfortably earning enough to cover the dividend. This means that a large portion of its earnings are being retained to grow the business.

Looking forward, earnings per share is forecast to fall by 14.7% over the next year. However, if the dividend continues along recent trends, we estimate the payout ratio could reach 91%, meaning that most of the company's earnings are being paid out to shareholders.

Unipol Gruppo Doesn't Have A Long Payment History

Even though the company has been paying a consistent dividend for a while, we would like to see a few more years before we feel comfortable relying on it. The first annual payment during the last 9 years was €0.15 in 2013, and the most recent fiscal year payment was €0.28. This works out to be a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 7.2% a year over that time. Unipol Gruppo has been growing its dividend at a decent rate, and the payments have been stable. However, the payment history is very short, so there is no evidence yet that the dividend can be sustained over a full economic cycle.

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. Unipol Gruppo has impressed us by growing EPS at 14% per year over the past five years. The company is paying a reasonable amount of earnings to shareholders, and is growing earnings at a decent rate so we think it could be a decent dividend stock.

We Really Like Unipol Gruppo's Dividend

Overall, we think this could be an attractive income stock, and it is only getting better by paying a higher dividend this year. The earnings easily cover the company's distributions, and the company is generating plenty of cash. 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 in all, this checks a lot of the boxes we look for when choosing an income stock.

Market movements attest to how highly valued a consistent dividend policy is compared to one which is more unpredictable. 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 2 warning signs for Unipol Gruppo 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.