IDEX (NYSE:IEX) Is Paying Out A Larger Dividend Than Last Year

IDEX Corporation's (NYSE:IEX) periodic dividend will be increasing on the 30th of May to $0.71, with investors receiving 2.9% more than last year's $0.69. This takes the annual payment to 1.5% of the current stock price, which is about average for the industry.

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IDEX's Payment Could Potentially Have Solid Earnings Coverage

We aren't too impressed by dividend yields unless they can be sustained over time. However, prior to this announcement, IDEX's dividend was comfortably covered by both cash flow and earnings. As a result, a large proportion of what it earned was being reinvested back into the business.

The next year is set to see EPS grow by 43.2%. Assuming the dividend continues along recent trends, we think the payout ratio could be 33% by next year, which is in a pretty sustainable range.

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IDEX 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 2015, the annual payment back then was $1.12, compared to the most recent full-year payment of $2.76. This works out to be a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 9.4% a year over that time. The dividend has been growing very nicely for a number of years, and has given its shareholders some nice income in their portfolios.

IDEX May Find It Hard To Grow The Dividend

Investors could be attracted to the stock based on the quality of its payment history. Earnings has been rising at 2.8% per annum over the last five years, which admittedly is a bit slow. While EPS growth is quite low, IDEX has the option to increase the payout ratio to return more cash to shareholders.

We Really Like IDEX's Dividend

In summary, it is always positive to see the dividend being increased, and we are particularly pleased with its overall sustainability. Distributions are quite easily covered by earnings, which are also being converted to cash flows. Taking this all into consideration, this looks like it could be a good dividend opportunity.

Companies possessing a stable dividend policy will likely enjoy greater investor interest than those suffering from a more inconsistent approach. However, there are other things to consider for investors when analysing stock performance. Companies that are growing earnings tend to be the best dividend stocks over the long term. See what the 12 analysts we track are forecasting for IDEX for free with public analyst estimates for the company. 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.