Gen Digital (NASDAQ:GEN) Is Paying Out A Dividend Of $0.125

Gen Digital Inc. (NASDAQ:GEN) will pay a dividend of $0.125 on the 11th of December. This makes the dividend yield 1.8%, which will augment investor returns quite nicely.

See our latest analysis for Gen Digital

Gen Digital's Future Dividend Projections Appear Well Covered By Earnings

While it is great to have a strong dividend yield, we should also consider whether the payment is sustainable. Prior to this announcement, Gen Digital's dividend was comfortably covered by both cash flow and earnings. This indicates that a lot of the earnings are being reinvested into the business, with the aim of fueling growth.

Over the next year, EPS is forecast to expand by 99.5%. If the dividend continues along recent trends, we estimate the payout ratio will be 25%, which is in the range that makes us comfortable with the sustainability of the dividend.

Dividend Volatility

The company's dividend history has been marked by instability, with at least one cut in the last 10 years. Since 2014, the annual payment back then was $0.60, compared to the most recent full-year payment of $0.50. The dividend has shrunk at around 1.8% a year during that period. Declining dividends isn't generally what we look for as they can indicate that the company is running into some challenges.

The Dividend Looks Likely To Grow

With a relatively unstable dividend, it's even more important to see if earnings per share is growing. We are encouraged to see that Gen Digital has grown earnings per share at 45% per year over the past five years. Gen Digital is clearly able to grow rapidly while still returning cash to shareholders, positioning it to become a strong dividend payer in the future.

Gen Digital Looks Like A Great Dividend Stock

In summary, it is good to see that the dividend is staying consistent, and we don't think there is any reason to suspect this might change over the medium term. 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.

Market movements attest to how highly valued a consistent dividend policy is compared to one which is more unpredictable. 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 5 warning signs for Gen Digital that you should be aware of before investing. 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.