Agilent Technologies (NYSE:A) Is Increasing Its Dividend To $0.255

Agilent Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:A) has announced that it will be increasing its dividend from last year's comparable payment on the 28th of January to $0.255. This makes the dividend yield 0.7%, which is above the industry average.

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Agilent Technologies' Projected Earnings Seem Likely To Cover Future Distributions

We like to see robust dividend yields, but that doesn't matter if the payment isn't sustainable. However, Agilent Technologies' earnings easily cover the dividend. This means that most of its earnings are being retained to grow the business.

The next year is set to see EPS grow by 46.1%. If the dividend continues along recent trends, we estimate the payout ratio will be 16%, which is in the range that makes us comfortable with the sustainability of the dividend.

View our latest analysis for Agilent Technologies

Agilent Technologies Has A Solid Track Record

The company has an extended history of paying stable dividends. The dividend has gone from an annual total of $0.40 in 2015 to the most recent total annual payment of $1.02. This means that it has been growing its distributions at 9.8% per annum over that time. Companies like this can be very valuable over the long term, if the decent rate of growth can be maintained.

The Dividend Looks Likely To Grow

The company's investors will be pleased to have been receiving dividend income for some time. We are encouraged to see that Agilent Technologies has grown earnings per share at 15% per year over the past five years. Growth in EPS bodes well for the dividend, as does the low payout ratio that the company is currently reporting.

We Really Like Agilent Technologies' Dividend

Overall, a dividend increase is always good, and we think that Agilent Technologies is a strong income stock thanks to its track record and growing earnings. Distributions are quite easily covered by earnings, which are also being converted to cash flows. 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 16 analysts we track are forecasting for Agilent Technologies 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.