Yahoo Finance How Does MERCK Kommanditgesellschaft auf Aktien (FRA:MRK) Fare As A Dividend Stock?
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Could MERCK Kommanditgesellschaft auf Aktien (FRA:MRK) be an attractive dividend share to own for the long haul? Investors are often drawn to strong companies with the idea of reinvesting the dividends. On the other hand, investors have been known to buy a stock because of its yield, and then lose money if the company's dividend doesn't live up to expectations.
With a 1.4% yield and a nine-year payment history, investors probably think MERCK Kommanditgesellschaft auf Aktien looks like a reliable dividend stock. A low yield is generally a turn-off, but if the prospects for earnings growth were strong, investors might be pleasantly surprised by the long-term results. Some simple analysis can reduce the risk of holding MERCK Kommanditgesellschaft auf Aktien for its dividend, and we'll focus on the most important aspects below.
Explore this interactive chart for our latest analysis on MERCK Kommanditgesellschaft auf Aktien!
Payout ratios
Companies (usually) pay dividends out of their earnings. If a company is paying more than it earns, the dividend might have to be cut. So we need to form a view on if a company's dividend is sustainable, relative to its net profit after tax. In the last year, MERCK Kommanditgesellschaft auf Aktien paid out 58% of its profit as dividends. This is a healthy payout ratio, and while it does limit the amount of earnings that can be reinvested in the business, there is also some room to lift the payout ratio over time.
We also measure dividends paid against a company's levered free cash flow, to see if enough cash was generated to cover the dividend. MERCK Kommanditgesellschaft auf Aktien paid out 53% of its free cash flow last year, which is acceptable, but is starting to limit the amount of earnings that can be reinvested into the business. It's encouraging to see that the dividend is covered by both profit and cash flow. This generally suggests the dividend is sustainable, as long as earnings don't drop precipitously.
Consider getting our latest analysis on MERCK Kommanditgesellschaft auf Aktien's financial position here.
Dividend Volatility
One of the major risks of relying on dividend income, is the potential for a company to struggle financially and cut its dividend. Not only is your income cut, but the value of your investment declines as well - nasty. Looking at the last decade of data, we can see that MERCK Kommanditgesellschaft auf Aktien paid its first dividend at least nine years ago. Its dividend has not fluctuated much that time, which we like, but we're conscious that the company might not yet have a track record of maintaining dividends in all economic conditions. During the past nine-year period, the first annual payment was €0.50 in 2010, compared to €1.25 last year. This works out to be a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 11% a year over that time.
MERCK Kommanditgesellschaft auf Aktien has been growing its dividend quite rapidly, which is exciting. However, the short payment history makes us question whether this performance will persist across a full market cycle.
Dividend Growth Potential
Examining whether the dividend is affordable and stable is important. However, it's also important to assess if earnings per share (EPS) are growing. Growing EPS can help maintain or increase the purchasing power of the dividend over the long run. In the last five years, MERCK Kommanditgesellschaft auf Aktien's earnings per share have shrunk at approximately 4.9% per annum. If earnings continue to decline, the dividend may come under pressure. Every investor should make an assessment of whether the company is taking steps to stabilise the situation.
Conclusion
To summarise, shareholders should always check that MERCK Kommanditgesellschaft auf Aktien's dividends are affordable, that its dividend payments are relatively stable, and that it has decent prospects for growing its earnings and dividend. First, we think MERCK Kommanditgesellschaft auf Aktien is paying out an acceptable percentage of its cashflow and profit. Earnings per share are down, and to our mind MERCK Kommanditgesellschaft auf Aktien has not been paying a dividend long enough to demonstrate its resilience across economic cycles. In summary, MERCK Kommanditgesellschaft auf Aktien has a number of shortcomings that we'd find it hard to get past. Things could change, but we think there are a number of better ideas out there.
Given that earnings are not growing, the dividend does not look nearly so attractive. Very few businesses see earnings consistently shrink year after year in perpetuity though, and so it might be worth seeing what the 23 analysts we track are forecasting for the future.
If you are a dividend investor, you might also want to look at our curated list of dividend stocks yielding above 3%.
We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.
If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.
