editorial-team@simplywallst.com (Simply Wall St)
·2-min read
The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO) will increase its dividend from last year's comparable payment on the 1st of April to $0.485. The payment will take the dividend yield to 3.3%, which is in line with the average for the industry.
See our latest analysis for Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola's Dividend Is Well Covered By Earnings
Unless the payments are sustainable, the dividend yield doesn't mean too much. Prior to this announcement, Coca-Cola was paying out 74% of earnings and more than 75% of free cash flows. This is usually an indication that the focus of the company is returning cash to shareholders rather than reinvesting it for growth.
ADVERTIsem*nT
The next year is set to see EPS grow by 27.6%. Assuming the dividend continues along recent trends, we think the payout ratio could be 62% by next year, which is in a pretty sustainable range.
Coca-Cola Has A Solid Track Record
The company has an extended history of paying stable dividends. Since 2014, the annual payment back then was $1.12, compared to the most recent full-year payment of $1.94. This works out to be a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 5.6% a year 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
Investors could be attracted to the stock based on the quality of its payment history. We are encouraged to see that Coca-Cola has grown earnings per share at 10% per year over the past five years. The payout ratio is very much on the higher end, which could mean that the growth rate will slow down in the future, and that could flow through to the dividend as well.
In Summary
In summary, it's great to see that the company can raise the dividend and keep it in a sustainable range. The payments look okay by most measures, the lack of cash flow could definitely cause problems for them in the future. Taking all of this into consideration, the dividend looks viable moving forward, but investors should be mindful that the company has pushed the boundaries of sustainability in the past and may do so again.
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. As an example, we've identified 2 warning signs for Coca-Cola that you should be aware of before investing. Looking for more high-yielding dividend ideas? Try our collection of strong dividend payers.
Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.
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.
