Yahoo Finance Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM) Is Paying Out A Larger Dividend Than Last Year
Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM) has announced that it will be increasing its dividend from last year's comparable payment on the 10th of March to $0.91. Although the dividend is now higher, the yield is only 3.3%, which is below the industry average.
Check out our latest analysis for Exxon Mobil
Exxon Mobil's Earnings Easily Cover The Distributions
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, Exxon Mobil was easily earning enough to cover the dividend. This means that most of what the business earns is being used to help it grow.
Over the next year, EPS is forecast to fall by 33.9%. If the dividend continues along recent trends, we estimate the payout ratio could be 41%, which we consider to be quite comfortable, with most of the company's earnings left over to grow the business in the future.
Exxon Mobil Has A Solid Track Record
Even over a long history of paying dividends, the company's distributions have been remarkably stable. The annual payment during the last 10 years was $2.28 in 2013, and the most recent fiscal year payment was $3.64. This means that it has been growing its distributions at 4.8% per annum over that time. Dividends have grown relatively slowly, which is not great, but some investors may value the relative consistency of the dividend.
The Dividend Looks Likely To Grow
The company's investors will be pleased to have been receiving dividend income for some time. Exxon Mobil has seen EPS rising for the last five years, at 24% per annum. A low payout ratio gives the company a lot of flexibility, and growing earnings also make it very easy for it to grow the dividend.
Exxon Mobil Looks Like A Great Dividend Stock
In summary, it is always positive to see the dividend being increased, and we are particularly pleased with its overall sustainability. The distributions are easily covered by earnings, and there is plenty of cash being generated as well. If earnings do fall over the next 12 months, the dividend could be buffeted a little bit, but we don't think it should cause too much of a problem in the long term. All in all, this checks a lot of the boxes we look for when choosing an income stock.
Companies possessing a stable dividend policy will likely enjoy greater investor interest than those suffering from a more inconsistent approach. Meanwhile, despite the importance of dividend payments, they are not the only factors our readers should know when assessing a company. Just as an example, we've come across 2 warning signs for Exxon Mobil you should be aware of, and 1 of them is concerning. 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.
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