Yahoo Finance Balfour Beatty's (LON:BBY) Shareholders Will Receive A Bigger Dividend Than Last Year
Balfour Beatty plc (LON:BBY) will increase its dividend on the 6th of July to UK£0.06. The announced payment will take the dividend yield to 3.7%, which is in line with the average for the industry.
See our latest analysis for Balfour Beatty
Balfour Beatty's Earnings Easily Cover the Distributions
Unless the payments are sustainable, the dividend yield doesn't mean too much. Prior to this announcement, Balfour Beatty's dividend was comfortably covered by both cash flow and earnings. This means that a large portion of its earnings are being retained to grow the business.
Over the next year, EPS is forecast to expand by 28.6%. If the dividend continues along recent trends, we estimate the payout ratio will be 37%, which is in the range that makes us comfortable with the sustainability of the dividend.
Dividend Volatility
The company's dividend history has been marked by instability, with at least 1 cut in the last 10 years. Since 2012, the dividend has gone from UK£0.14 to UK£0.09. The dividend has shrunk at around 4.2% a year during that period. A company that decreases its dividend over time generally isn't what we are looking for.
The Dividend Looks Likely To Grow
Growing earnings per share could be a mitigating factor when considering the past fluctuations in the dividend. Balfour Beatty has seen EPS rising for the last five years, at 138% per annum. The company's earnings per share has grown rapidly in recent years, and it has a good balance between reinvesting and paying dividends to shareholders, so we think that Balfour Beatty could prove to be a strong dividend payer.
We Really Like Balfour Beatty's Dividend
Overall, we think this could be an attractive income stock, and it is only getting better by paying a higher dividend this year. The company is easily earning enough to cover its dividend payments and it is great to see that these earnings are being translated into cash flow. Taking this all into consideration, this looks like it could be a good dividend opportunity.
Market movements attest to how highly valued a consistent dividend policy is compared to one which is more unpredictable. Still, investors need to consider a host of other factors, apart from dividend payments, when analysing a company. As an example, we've identified 2 warning signs for Balfour Beatty that you should be aware of before investing. 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.
