TE Connectivity's (NYSE:TEL) Dividend Will Be $0.59

The board of TE Connectivity Ltd. (NYSE:TEL) has announced that it will pay a dividend on the 1st of March, with investors receiving $0.59 per share. This will take the annual payment to 1.8% of the stock price, which is above what most companies in the industry pay.

View our latest analysis for TE Connectivity

TE Connectivity's Dividend Is Well Covered By Earnings

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

Looking forward, earnings per share is forecast to rise by 52.9% over the next year. If the dividend continues along recent trends, we estimate the payout ratio will be 27%, which is in the range that makes us comfortable with the sustainability of the dividend.

TE Connectivity Has A Solid Track Record

Even over a long history of paying dividends, the company's distributions have been remarkably stable. The annual payment during the last 10 years was $0.84 in 2013, and the most recent fiscal year payment was $2.36. This works out to be a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 11% a year over that time. Rapidly growing dividends for a long time is a very valuable feature for an income stock.

Dividend Growth May Be Hard To Achieve

Investors could be attracted to the stock based on the quality of its payment history. Unfortunately things aren't as good as they seem. In the last five years, TE Connectivity's earnings per share has shrunk at approximately 3.7% per annum. If the company is making less over time, it naturally follows that it will also have to pay out less in dividends. However, the next year is actually looking up, with earnings set to rise. We would just wait until it becomes a pattern before getting too excited.

In Summary

Overall, it's great to see the dividend being raised and that it is still in a sustainable range. The earnings coverage is acceptable for now, but with earnings on the decline we would definitely keep an eye on the payout ratio. The payment isn't stellar, but it could make a decent addition to a dividend portfolio.

Investors generally tend to favour companies with a consistent, stable dividend policy as opposed to those operating an irregular 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. Businesses can change though, and we think it would make sense to see what analysts are forecasting for the company. 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.