Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) Is Paying Out A Larger Dividend Than Last Year

Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) has announced that it will be increasing its dividend on the 16th of June to US$0.26. This takes the annual payment to 0.9% of the current stock price, which unfortunately is below what the industry is paying.

See our latest analysis for Applied Materials

Applied Materials' Payment Has Solid Earnings Coverage

If it is predictable over a long period, even low dividend yields can be attractive. Before making this announcement, Applied Materials 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 16.1% over the next year. If the dividend continues along recent trends, we estimate the payout ratio will be 13%, which is in the range that makes us comfortable with the sustainability of the dividend.

Applied Materials Has A Solid Track Record

The company has a sustained record of paying dividends with very little fluctuation. The dividend has gone from US$0.32 in 2012 to the most recent annual payment of US$1.04. This implies that the company grew its distributions at a yearly rate of about 13% over that duration. It is good to see that there has been strong dividend growth, and that there haven't been any cuts for a long time.

The Dividend Looks Likely To Grow

Some investors will be chomping at the bit to buy some of the company's stock based on its dividend history. Applied Materials has seen EPS rising for the last five years, at 30% per annum. A low payout ratio gives the company a lot of flexibility, and growing earnings also make it very easy for it to grow the dividend.

We Really Like Applied Materials' Dividend

Overall, a dividend increase is always good, and we think that Applied Materials 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. Taking this all into consideration, this looks like it could be a good dividend opportunity.

Investors generally tend to favour companies with a consistent, stable dividend policy as opposed to those operating an irregular one. Meanwhile, despite the importance of dividend payments, they are not the only factors our readers should know when assessing a company. Taking the debate a bit further, we've identified 1 warning sign for Applied Materials that investors need to be conscious of moving forward. 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.