DTE Energy (NYSE:DTE) Is Increasing Its Dividend To $0.9525

The board of DTE Energy Company (NYSE:DTE) has announced that it will be paying its dividend of $0.9525 on the 15th of January, an increased payment from last year's comparable dividend. This makes the dividend yield about the same as the industry average at 3.1%.

Our analysis indicates that DTE is potentially undervalued!

DTE Energy's Earnings Easily Cover The Distributions

Solid dividend yields are great, but they only really help us if the payment is sustainable. Before making this announcement, DTE Energy was earning enough to cover the dividend, but it wasn't generating any free cash flows. Since a dividend means the company is paying out cash to investors, this could prove to be a problem in the future.

Over the next year, EPS is forecast to expand by 21.9%. Assuming the dividend continues along recent trends, we think the payout ratio could be 54% by next year, which is in a pretty sustainable range.

Dividend Volatility

While the company has been paying a dividend for a long time, it has cut the dividend at least once in the last 10 years. Since 2012, the dividend has gone from $2.35 total annually to $3.61. This implies that the company grew its distributions at a yearly rate of about 4.4% over that duration. The dividend has seen some fluctuations in the past, so even though the dividend was raised this year, we should remember that it has been cut in the past.

The Dividend's Growth Prospects Are Limited

With a relatively unstable dividend, it's even more important to evaluate if earnings per share is growing, which could point to a growing dividend in the future. However, DTE Energy's EPS was effectively flat over the past five years, which could stop the company from paying more every year. Growth of 1.1% per annum is not particularly high, which might explain why the company is paying out a higher proportion of earnings. This could mean the dividend doesn't have the growth potential we look for going into the future.

Our Thoughts On DTE Energy's Dividend

Overall, this is probably not a great income stock, even though the dividend is being raised at the moment. With cash flows lacking, it is difficult to see how the company can sustain a dividend payment. We don't think DTE Energy is a great stock to add to your portfolio if income is your focus.

Investors generally tend to favour companies with a consistent, stable dividend policy as opposed to those operating an irregular one. However, there are other things to consider for investors when analysing stock performance. For example, we've identified 2 warning signs for DTE Energy (1 is concerning!) 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.