Anthem (NYSE:ANTM) Has Announced That It Will Be Increasing Its Dividend To US$1.28

Anthem, Inc. (NYSE:ANTM) has announced that it will be increasing its dividend on the 25th of March to US$1.28. Although the dividend is now higher, the yield is only 1.0%, which is below the industry average.

Check out our latest analysis for Anthem

Anthem's Payment Has Solid Earnings Coverage

Even a low dividend yield can be attractive if it is sustained for years on end. Before making this announcement, Anthem was easily earning enough to cover the dividend. This means that most of its earnings are being retained to grow the business.

Looking forward, earnings per share is forecast to rise by 8.3% over the next year. Assuming the dividend continues along recent trends, we think the payout ratio could be 19% by next year, which is in a pretty sustainable range.

Anthem Has A Solid Track Record

The company has a sustained record of paying dividends with very little fluctuation. The first annual payment during the last 10 years was US$1.00 in 2012, and the most recent fiscal year payment was US$5.12. This works out to be a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 18% a year over that time. We can see that payments have shown some very nice upward momentum without faltering, which provides some reassurance that future payments will also be reliable.

The Dividend Looks Likely To Grow

Investors who have held shares in the company for the past few years will be happy with the dividend income they have received. We are encouraged to see that Anthem has grown earnings per share at 22% per year over the past five years. Earnings have been growing rapidly, and with a low payout ratio we think that the company could turn out to be a great dividend stock.

Anthem Looks Like A Great Dividend Stock

Overall, a dividend increase is always good, and we think that Anthem is a strong income stock thanks to its track record and growing earnings. Earnings are easily covering distributions, and the company is generating plenty of cash. All of these factors considered, we think this has solid potential as a dividend stock.

Companies possessing a stable dividend policy will likely enjoy greater investor interest than those suffering from a more inconsistent approach. At the same time, there are other factors our readers should be conscious of before pouring capital into a stock. Companies that are growing earnings tend to be the best dividend stocks over the long term. See what the 14 analysts we track are forecasting for Anthem for free with public analyst estimates for the company. 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.