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DS Smith's (LON:SMDS) Dividend Will Be Increased To UK£0.10

The board of DS Smith Plc (LON:SMDS) has announced that it will be increasing its dividend on the 1st of November to UK£0.10. This will take the annual payment from 4.3% to 5.3% of the stock price, which is above what most companies in the industry pay.

Check out our latest analysis for DS Smith

DS Smith's Dividend Is Well Covered By Earnings

We like to see robust dividend yields, but that doesn't matter if the payment isn't sustainable. Based on the last payment, DS Smith was quite comfortably earning enough to cover the dividend. This indicates that quite a large proportion of earnings is being invested back into the business.

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The next year is set to see EPS grow by 41.9%. Assuming the dividend continues along recent trends, we think the payout ratio could be 52% by next year, which is in a pretty sustainable range.

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historic-dividend

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 UK£0.059 in 2012 to the most recent annual payment of UK£0.12. This works out to be a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 7.4% a year over that time. A reasonable rate of dividend growth is good to see, but we're wary that the dividend history is not as solid as we'd like, having been cut at least once.

The Dividend's Growth Prospects Are Limited

Growing earnings per share could be a mitigating factor when considering the past fluctuations in the dividend. Although it's important to note that DS Smith's earnings per share has basically not grown from where it was five years ago, which could erode the purchasing power of the dividend over time.

In Summary

In summary, while it's always good to see the dividend being raised, we don't think DS Smith's payments are rock solid. In the past, the payments have been unstable, but over the short term the dividend could be reliable, with the company generating enough cash to cover it. We would probably look elsewhere for an income investment.

Investors generally tend to favour companies with a consistent, stable dividend policy as opposed to those operating an irregular one. However, there are other things to consider for investors when analysing stock performance. Taking the debate a bit further, we've identified 1 warning sign for DS Smith that investors need to be conscious of moving forward. Looking for more high-yielding dividend ideas? Try our collection of strong dividend payers.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.

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.