Yahoo Finance Canadian Western Bank (TSE:CWB) Is Increasing Its Dividend To CA$0.31
Canadian Western Bank (TSE:CWB) will increase its dividend on the 23rd of June to CA$0.31. The announced payment will take the dividend yield to 3.9%, which is in line with the average for the industry.
See our latest analysis for Canadian Western Bank
Canadian Western Bank's Earnings Easily Cover the Distributions
While it is always good to see a solid dividend yield, we should also consider whether the payment is feasible. Prior to this announcement, Canadian Western Bank's earnings easily covered the dividend, but free cash flows were negative. With the company not bringing in any cash, paying out to shareholders is bound to become difficult at some point.
EPS is set to fall by 1.9% over the next 12 months. If the dividend continues along the path it has been on recently, we estimate the payout ratio could be 35%, which is comfortable for the company to continue in the future.
Canadian Western Bank 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 CA$0.56 to CA$1.24. This means that it has been growing its distributions at 8.3% per annum over that time. The dividend has been growing very nicely for a number of years, and has given its shareholders some nice income in their portfolios.
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. We are encouraged to see that Canadian Western Bank has grown earnings per share at 11% per year over the past five years. Growth in EPS bodes well for the dividend, as does the low payout ratio that the company is currently reporting.
Our Thoughts On Canadian Western Bank's Dividend
In summary, while it's always good to see the dividend being raised, we don't think Canadian Western Bank's payments are rock solid. While the low payout ratio is redeeming feature, this is offset by the minimal cash to cover the payments. We would probably look elsewhere for an income investment.
Companies possessing a stable dividend policy will likely enjoy greater investor interest than those suffering from a more inconsistent approach. Still, investors need to consider a host of other factors, apart from dividend payments, when analysing a company. Case in point: We've spotted 4 warning signs for Canadian Western Bank (of which 1 is concerning!) you should know about. 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.
