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Valley National Bancorp's (NASDAQ:VLY) Dividend Will Be US$0.11

The board of Valley National Bancorp (NASDAQ:VLY) has announced that it will pay a dividend on the 1st of July, with investors receiving US$0.11 per share. The dividend yield will be 3.8% based on this payment which is still above the industry average.

See our latest analysis for Valley National Bancorp

Valley National Bancorp's Payment Has Solid Earnings Coverage

If the payments aren't sustainable, a high yield for a few years won't matter that much. Before making this announcement, Valley National Bancorp was easily earning enough to cover the dividend. As a result, a large proportion of what it earned was being reinvested back into the business.

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Over the next year, EPS is forecast to expand by 1.6%. If the dividend continues along recent trends, we estimate the payout ratio will be 47%, which is in the range that makes us comfortable with the sustainability of the dividend.

historic-dividend
historic-dividend

Dividend Volatility

Although the company has a long dividend history, it has been cut at least once in the last 10 years. The dividend has gone from US$0.66 in 2012 to the most recent annual payment of US$0.44. Doing the maths, this is a decline of about 3.9% per year. Generally, we don't like to see a dividend that has been declining over time as this can degrade shareholders' returns and indicate that the company may be running into problems.

The Dividend Has Growth Potential

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. Valley National Bancorp has impressed us by growing EPS at 6.6% per year over the past five years. Valley National Bancorp definitely has the potential to grow its dividend in the future with earnings on an uptrend and a low payout ratio.

The company has also been raising capital by issuing stock equal to 25% of shares outstanding in the last 12 months. Trying to grow the dividend when issuing new shares reminds us of the ancient Greek tale of Sisyphus - perpetually pushing a boulder uphill. Companies that consistently issue new shares are often suboptimal from a dividend perspective.

In Summary

Overall, a consistent dividend is a good thing, and we think that Valley National Bancorp has the ability to continue this into the future. The payout ratio looks good, but unfortunately the company's dividend track record isn't stellar. The payment isn't stellar, but it could make a decent addition to a dividend portfolio.

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. For example, we've picked out 2 warning signs for Valley National Bancorp that investors should know about before committing capital to this stock. Is Valley National Bancorp not quite the opportunity you were looking for? Why not check out our selection of top dividend stocks.

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.