Expeditors International of Washington's (NASDAQ:EXPD) Upcoming Dividend Will Be Larger Than Last Year's

Expeditors International of Washington, Inc. (NASDAQ:EXPD) has announced that it will be increasing its dividend on the 15th of December to US$0.58. Although the dividend is now higher, the yield is only 0.9%, which is below the industry average.

View our latest analysis for Expeditors International of Washington

Expeditors International of Washington's Payment Has Solid Earnings Coverage

The dividend yield is a little bit low, but sustainability of the payments is also an important part of evaluating an income stock. Before making this announcement, Expeditors International of Washington was easily earning enough to cover the dividend. This means that most of its earnings are being retained to grow the business.

Over the next year, EPS is forecast to fall by 0.8%. If the dividend continues along the path it has been on recently, we estimate the payout ratio could be 18%, which is comfortable for the company to continue in the future.

Expeditors International of Washington Has A Solid Track Record

Even over a long history of paying dividends, the company's distributions have been remarkably stable. Since 2011, the dividend has gone from US$0.50 to US$1.16. This means that it has been growing its distributions at 8.8% per annum over that time. Dividends have grown at a reasonable rate over this period, and without any major cuts in the payment over time, we think this is an attractive combination as it provides a nice boost to shareholder returns.

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. It's encouraging to see Expeditors International of Washington has been growing its earnings per share at 24% a year over the past five years. 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 Expeditors International of Washington's Dividend

Overall, a dividend increase is always good, and we think that Expeditors International of Washington is a strong income stock thanks to its track record and growing earnings. The earnings easily cover the company's distributions, and the company is generating plenty of cash. If earnings do fall over the next 12 months, the dividend could be buffeted a little bit, but we don't think it should cause too much of a problem in the long term. All in all, this checks a lot of the boxes we look for when choosing an income stock.

Companies possessing a stable dividend policy will likely enjoy greater investor interest than those suffering from a more inconsistent approach. Meanwhile, despite the importance of dividend payments, they are not the only factors our readers should know when assessing a company. For example, we've identified 3 warning signs for Expeditors International of Washington (2 are potentially serious!) that you should be aware of before investing. Looking for more high-yielding dividend ideas? Try our curated list of strong dividend payers.

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.

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