Yahoo Finance 3i Group (LON:III) Is Increasing Its Dividend To £0.2975
3i Group plc's (LON:III) periodic dividend will be increasing on the 28th of July to £0.2975, with investors receiving 9.2% more than last year's £0.273. The payment will take the dividend yield to 2.7%, which is in line with the average for the industry.
View our latest analysis for 3i Group
3i Group's Dividend Is Well Covered By Earnings
We like a dividend to be consistent over the long term, so checking whether it is sustainable is important. However, 3i Group's earnings easily cover the dividend. This means that most of what the business earns is being used to help it grow.
Looking forward, earnings per share is forecast to fall by 32.8% over the next year. If the dividend continues along the path it has been on recently, we estimate the payout ratio could be 20%, which is comfortable for the company to continue in the future.
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 an annual total of £0.108 in 2013 to the most recent total annual payment of £0.505. This implies that the company grew its distributions at a yearly rate of about 17% over that duration. It is great to see strong growth in the dividend payments, but cuts are concerning as it may indicate the payout policy is too ambitious.
The Dividend Looks Likely To Grow
With a relatively unstable dividend, it's even more important to see if earnings per share is growing. We are encouraged to see that 3i Group has grown earnings per share at 26% per year over the past five years. Rapid earnings growth and a low payout ratio suggest this company has been effectively reinvesting in its business. Should that continue, this company could have a bright future.
We Really Like 3i Group's Dividend
Overall, a dividend increase is always good, and we think that 3i Group is a strong income stock thanks to its track record and growing earnings. The company is generating plenty of cash, and the earnings also quite easily cover the distributions. If earnings do fall over the next 12 months, the dividend could be buffeted a little bit, but we don't think it should cause too much of a problem in the long term. Taking this all into consideration, this looks like it could be a good dividend opportunity.
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 3 warning signs for 3i Group (of which 2 don't sit too well with us!) you should know about. If you are a dividend investor, you might also want to look at our curated list of high yield dividend stocks.
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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.
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