Reinsurance Group of America (NYSE:RGA) Is Paying Out A Larger Dividend Than Last Year

Reinsurance Group of America, Incorporated (NYSE:RGA) has announced that it will be increasing its dividend on the 30th of November to US$0.73. The announced payment will take the dividend yield to 2.6%, which is in line with the average for the industry.

Check out our latest analysis for Reinsurance Group of America

Reinsurance Group of America's Dividend Is Well Covered By Earnings

We like to see a healthy dividend yield, but that is only helpful to us if the payment can continue. Before making this announcement, Reinsurance Group of America was easily earning enough to cover the dividend. As a result, a large proportion of what it earned was being reinvested back into the business.

Looking forward, earnings per share is forecast to rise by 57.0% over the next year. Assuming the dividend continues along recent trends, we think the payout ratio could be 24% by next year, which is in a pretty sustainable range.

Reinsurance Group of America Has A Solid Track Record

The company has a sustained record of paying dividends with very little fluctuation. The dividend has gone from US$0.48 in 2011 to the most recent annual payment of US$2.92. This implies that the company grew its distributions at a yearly rate of about 20% over that duration. So, dividends have been growing pretty quickly, and even more impressively, they haven't experienced any notable falls during this period.

The Dividend's Growth Prospects Are Limited

The company's investors will be pleased to have been receiving dividend income for some time. However, things aren't all that rosy. Reinsurance Group of America has seen earnings per share falling at 3.4% per year over the last five years. Declining earnings will inevitably lead to the company paying a lower dividend in line with lower profits. Earnings are forecast to grow over the next 12 months and if that happens we could still be a little bit cautious until it becomes a pattern.

Our Thoughts On Reinsurance Group of America's Dividend

Overall, it's great to see the dividend being raised and that it is still in a sustainable range. While the payments look sustainable for now, earnings have been shrinking so the dividend could come under pressure in the future. Taking all of this into consideration, the dividend looks viable moving forward, but investors should be mindful that the company has pushed the boundaries of sustainability in the past and may do so again.

It's important to note that companies having a consistent dividend policy will generate greater investor confidence than those having an erratic one. At the same time, there are other factors our readers should be conscious of before pouring capital into a stock. Without at least some growth in earnings per share over time, the dividend will eventually come under pressure either from competition or inflation. See if the 7 analysts are forecasting a turnaround in our free collection of analyst estimates here. If you are a dividend investor, you might also want to look at our curated list of high performing dividend stock.

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.

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