Yahoo Finance ASX (ASX:ASX) Is Increasing Its Dividend To AU$1.16
ASX Limited's (ASX:ASX) dividend will be increasing to AU$1.16 on 23rd of March. Although the dividend is now higher, the yield is only 2.8%, which is below the industry average.
View our latest analysis for ASX
ASX's Dividend Is Well Covered By Earnings
It would be nice for the yield to be higher, but we should also check if higher levels of dividend payment would be sustainable. The last payment made up 90% of earnings, but cash flows were much higher. Since the dividend is just paying out cash to shareholders, we care more about the cash payout ratio from which we can see plenty is being left over for reinvestment in the business.
EPS is set to grow by 5.3% over the next year. If the dividend continues growing along recent trends, we estimate the payout ratio could reach 89%, which is on the higher side, but certainly still feasible.
ASX Has A Solid Track Record
Even over a long history of paying dividends, the company's distributions have been remarkably stable. Since 2012, the dividend has gone from AU$1.74 to AU$2.28. This means that it has been growing its distributions at 2.7% per annum over that time. Although we can't deny that the dividend has been remarkably stable in the past, the growth has been pretty muted.
The Dividend's Growth Prospects Are Limited
Investors who have held shares in the company for the past few years will be happy with the dividend income they have received. Earnings per share has been crawling upwards at 2.5% per year. ASX's earnings per share has barely grown, which is not ideal - perhaps this is why the company pays out the majority of its earnings to shareholders. This isn't the end of the world, but for investors looking for strong dividend growth they may want to look elsewhere.
In Summary
In summary, while it's always good to see the dividend being raised, we don't think ASX's payments are rock solid. The company has been bring in plenty of cash to cover the dividend, but we don't necessarily think that makes it a great dividend stock. We would be a touch cautious of relying on this stock primarily for the dividend income.
It's important to note that companies having a consistent dividend policy will generate greater investor confidence than those having an erratic one. However, there are other things to consider for investors when analysing stock performance. Taking the debate a bit further, we've identified 1 warning sign for ASX that investors need to be conscious of moving forward. We have also put together a list of global stocks with a solid dividend.
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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.