Yahoo Finance Lear (NYSE:LEA) Is Increasing Its Dividend To US$0.77
Lear Corporation's (NYSE:LEA) dividend will be increasing to US$0.77 on 29th of December. Despite this raise, the dividend yield of 1.0% is only a modest boost to shareholder returns.
See our latest analysis for Lear
Lear's Dividend Is Well Covered By Earnings
If it is predictable over a long period, even low dividend yields can be attractive. Before making this announcement, Lear was easily earning enough to cover the dividend. This means that most of its earnings are being retained to grow the business.
The next year is set to see EPS grow by 40.5%. If the dividend continues on this path, the payout ratio could be 15% by next year, which we think can be pretty sustainable going forward.
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. The dividend has gone from US$0.50 in 2011 to the most recent annual payment of US$3.08. This means that it has been growing its distributions at 20% per annum over that time. Dividends have grown rapidly over this time, but with cuts in the past we are not certain that this stock will be a reliable source of income in the future.
Dividend Growth Is Doubtful
Given that the dividend has been cut in the past, we need to check if earnings are growing and if that might lead to stronger dividends in the future. It's not great to see that Lear's earnings per share has fallen at approximately 7.0% per year over the past five years. Declining earnings will inevitably lead to the company paying a lower dividend in line with lower profits. However, the next year is actually looking up, with earnings set to rise. We would just wait until it becomes a pattern before getting too excited.
In Summary
Overall, this is probably not a great income stock, even though the dividend is being raised at the moment. The payments haven't been particularly stable and we don't see huge growth potential, but with the dividend well covered by cash flows it could prove to be reliable over the short term. 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. 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 picked out 2 warning signs for Lear that investors should know about before committing capital to this stock. We have also put together a list of global stocks with a solid dividend.
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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