Yahoo Finance Britvic (LON:BVIC) Has Announced That Its Dividend Will Be Reduced To UK£0.18
Britvic plc (LON:BVIC) is reducing its dividend to UK£0.18 on the 2nd of February. The dividend yield of 2.7% is still a nice boost to shareholder returns, despite the cut.
View our latest analysis for Britvic
Britvic's Dividend Is Well Covered By Earnings
Impressive dividend yields are good, but this doesn't matter much if the payments can't be sustained. Prior to this announcement, Britvic'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.
Looking forward, earnings per share is forecast to rise by 37.1% over the next year. Assuming the dividend continues along recent trends, we think the payout ratio could be 46% by next year, which is in a pretty sustainable range.
Dividend Volatility
The company's dividend history has been marked by instability, with at least 1 cut in the last 10 years. The dividend has gone from UK£0.17 in 2011 to the most recent annual payment of UK£0.24. This implies that the company grew its distributions at a yearly rate of about 3.8% over that duration. We're glad to see the dividend has risen, but with a limited rate of growth and fluctuations in the payments the total shareholder return may be limited.
The Dividend's Growth Prospects Are Limited
With a relatively unstable dividend, it's even more important to evaluate if earnings per share is growing, which could point to a growing dividend in the future. In the last five years, Britvic's earnings per share has shrunk at approximately 2.4% per annum. Declining earnings will inevitably lead to the company paying a lower dividend in line with lower profits. Earnings are predicted to grow over the next year, but we would remain cautious until a track record of earnings growth is established.
In Summary
Overall, the dividend looks like it may have been a bit high, which explains why it has now been cut. The company is generating plenty of cash, which could maintain the dividend for a while, but the track record hasn't been great. This company is not in the top tier of income providing stocks.
Market movements attest to how highly valued a consistent dividend policy is compared to one which is more unpredictable. Meanwhile, despite the importance of dividend payments, they are not the only factors our readers should know when assessing a company. For instance, we've picked out 2 warning signs for Britvic that investors should take into consideration. Looking for more high-yielding dividend ideas? Try our curated list of strong dividend payers.
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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