Yahoo Finance Nielsen Holdings (NYSE:NLSN) Has Announced A Dividend Of US$0.06
Nielsen Holdings plc (NYSE:NLSN) has announced that it will pay a dividend of US$0.06 per share on the 2nd of December. This makes the dividend yield 1.2%, which will augment investor returns quite nicely.
See our latest analysis for Nielsen Holdings
Nielsen Holdings' Earnings Easily Cover the Distributions
Impressive dividend yields are good, but this doesn't matter much if the payments can't be sustained. Prior to this announcement, Nielsen Holdings' dividend made up quite a large proportion of earnings but only 24% of free cash flows. This leaves plenty of cash for reinvestment into the business.
Looking forward, earnings per share is forecast to rise exponentially over the next year. If the dividend continues along recent trends, we estimate the payout ratio will be 18%, so there isn't too much pressure on the dividend.
Nielsen Holdings' Dividend Has Lacked Consistency
Even in its relatively short history, the company has reduced the dividend at least once. This makes us cautious about the consistency of the dividend over a full economic cycle. The dividend has gone from US$0.64 in 2012 to the most recent annual payment of US$0.24. Dividend payments have fallen sharply, down 63% over that time. Declining dividends isn't generally what we look for as they can indicate that the company is running into some challenges.
Dividend Growth Potential Is Shaky
Dividends have been going in the wrong direction, so we definitely want to see a different trend in the earnings per share. Over the past five years, it looks as though Nielsen Holdings' EPS has declined at around 27% a year. A sharp decline in earnings per share is not great from from a dividend perspective. Even conservative payout ratios can come under pressure if earnings fall far enough. On the bright side, earnings are predicted to gain some ground over the next year, but until this turns into a pattern we wouldn't be feeling too comfortable.
In Summary
In summary, while it's good to see that the dividend hasn't been cut, we are a bit cautious about Nielsen Holdings' payments, as there could be some issues with sustaining them into the future. 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.
It's important to note that companies having a consistent dividend policy will generate greater investor confidence than those having an erratic one. However, there are other things to consider for investors when analysing stock performance. Case in point: We've spotted 2 warning signs for Nielsen Holdings (of which 1 is concerning!) you should know about. 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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