Yahoo Finance Deere (NYSE:DE) Will Pay A Larger Dividend Than Last Year At US$1.13
Deere & Company (NYSE:DE) has announced that it will be increasing its dividend on the 8th of August to US$1.13. Even though the dividend went up, the yield is still quite low at only 1.4%.
View our latest analysis for Deere
Deere's Dividend Is Well Covered By Earnings
It would be nice for the yield to be higher, but we should also check if higher levels of dividend payment would be sustainable. Before making this announcement, Deere was paying a whopping 104% as a dividend, but this only made up 21% of its overall earnings. The business might be trying to strike a balance between returning cash to shareholders and reinvesting back into the business, but this high of a payout ratio could definitely force the dividend to be cut if the company runs into a bit of a tough spot.
Over the next year, EPS is forecast to expand by 28.2%. If the dividend continues on this path, the payout ratio could be 18% by next year, which we think can be pretty sustainable going forward.
Deere Has A Solid Track Record
The company has an extended history of paying stable dividends. Since 2012, the first annual payment was US$1.64, compared to the most recent full-year payment of US$4.52. This implies that the company grew its distributions at a yearly rate of about 11% over that duration. So, dividends have been growing pretty quickly, and even more impressively, they haven't experienced any notable falls during this period.
The Dividend Looks Likely To Grow
Investors could be attracted to the stock based on the quality of its payment history. Deere has impressed us by growing EPS at 28% per year over the past five years. Earnings per share is growing at a solid clip, and the payout ratio is low which we think is an ideal combination in a dividend stock as the company can quite easily raise the dividend in the future.
In Summary
Overall, we always like to see the dividend being raised, but we don't think Deere will make a great income stock. While the low payout ratio is redeeming feature, this is offset by the minimal cash to cover the payments. Overall, we don't think this company has the makings of a good income stock.
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. Case in point: We've spotted 2 warning signs for Deere (of which 1 is a bit unpleasant!) you should know about. Looking for more high-yielding dividend ideas? Try our collection of strong dividend payers.
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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.
