Alfa Laval Corporate AB (STO:ALFA) will increase its dividend from last year's comparable payment on the 3rd of May to SEK7.50. Even though the dividend went up, the yield is still quite low at only 1.8%.
View our latest analysis for Alfa Laval
Alfa Laval's Dividend Is Well Covered By Earnings
The dividend yield is a little bit low, but sustainability of the payments is also an important part of evaluating an income stock. Prior to this announcement, Alfa Laval's dividend was comfortably covered by both cash flow and earnings. This means that a large portion of its earnings are being retained to grow the business.
Looking forward, earnings per share is forecast to rise by 39.8% over the next year. If the dividend continues along recent trends, we estimate the payout ratio will be 37%, which is in the range that makes us comfortable with the sustainability of the dividend.
Dividend Volatility
The company has a long dividend track record, but it doesn't look great with cuts in the past. Since 2014, the annual payment back then was SEK3.50, compared to the most recent full-year payment of SEK7.50. This implies that the company grew its distributions at a yearly rate of about 7.9% over that duration. It's good to see the dividend growing at a decent rate, but the dividend has been cut at least once in the past. Alfa Laval might have put its house in order since then, but we remain cautious.
Alfa Laval Could Grow Its Dividend
With a relatively unstable dividend, it's even more important to evaluate if earnings per share is growing, which could point to a growing dividend in the future. We are encouraged to see that Alfa Laval has grown earnings per share at 7.3% per year over the past five years. Shareholders are getting plenty of the earnings returned to them, which combined with strong growth makes this quite appealing.
Our Thoughts On Alfa Laval's Dividend
Overall, it's great to see the dividend being raised and that it is still in a sustainable range. The payout ratio looks good, but unfortunately the company's dividend track record isn't stellar. The dividend looks okay, but there have been some issues in the past, so we would be a little bit cautious.
Companies possessing a stable dividend policy will likely enjoy greater investor interest than those suffering from a more inconsistent approach. 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 Alfa Laval 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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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.
About OM:ALFA
Alfa Laval
Provides heat transfer, separation, and fluid handling products and solutions worldwide.
Flawless balance sheet with solid track record and pays a dividend.
