- United States
- Pharma
- NYSE:LLY
Eli Lilly (NYSE:LLY) Is Paying Out A Larger Dividend Than Last Year
- Published
- January 28, 2022
The board of Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) has announced that it will be increasing its dividend on the 10th of March to US$0.98. This takes the annual payment to 1.5% of the current stock price, which unfortunately is below what the industry is paying.
Check out our latest analysis for Eli Lilly
Eli Lilly's Payment Has Solid Earnings Coverage
While yield is important, another factor to consider about a company's dividend is whether the current payout levels are feasible. Eli Lilly was earning enough to cover the previous dividend, but it was paying out quite a large proportion of its free cash flows. The company is clearly earning enough to pay this type of dividend, but it is definitely focused on returning cash to shareholders, rather than growing the business.
Over the next year, EPS is forecast to expand by 15.3%. Assuming the dividend continues along recent trends, we think the payout ratio could be 50% by next year, which is in a pretty sustainable range.
Eli Lilly Has A Solid Track Record
The company has a sustained record of paying dividends with very little fluctuation. Since 2012, the dividend has gone from US$1.96 to US$3.92. This works out to be a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 7.2% 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.
The Dividend Looks Likely To Grow
The company's investors will be pleased to have been receiving dividend income for some time. Eli Lilly has impressed us by growing EPS at 23% per year over the past five years. The company doesn't have any problems growing, despite returning a lot of capital to shareholders, which is a very nice combination for a dividend stock to have.
Our Thoughts On Eli Lilly's Dividend
Overall, it's great to see the dividend being raised and that it is still in a sustainable range. The payments look okay by most measures, the lack of cash flow could definitely cause problems for them in the future. The payment isn't stellar, but it could make a decent addition to a dividend portfolio.
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. As an example, we've identified 1 warning sign for Eli Lilly that you should be aware of before investing. If you are a dividend investor, you might also want to look at our curated list of high performing dividend stock.
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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.