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PZ Cussons (LON:PZC) Is Increasing Its Dividend To UK£0.034

The board of PZ Cussons Plc (LON:PZC) has announced that the dividend on 30th of November will be increased to UK£0.034, which will be 9.3% higher than last year. The announced payment will take the dividend yield to 2.7%, which is in line with the average for the industry.

See our latest analysis for PZ Cussons

PZ Cussons' Earnings Easily Cover the Distributions

Solid dividend yields are great, but they only really help us if the payment is sustainable. Prior to this announcement, PZ Cussons' dividend made up quite a large proportion of earnings but only 60% of free cash flows. Since the dividend is just paying out cash to shareholders, we care more about the cash payout ratio from which we can see plenty is being left over for reinvestment in the business.

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The next year is set to see EPS grow by 48.9%. Assuming the dividend continues along recent trends, we think the payout ratio could be 47% by next year, which is in a pretty sustainable range.

historic-dividend
historic-dividend

Dividend Volatility

Although the company has a long dividend history, it has been cut at least once in the last 10 years. The dividend has gone from UK£0.066 in 2011 to the most recent annual payment of UK£0.061. Payments have been decreasing at a very slow pace in this time period. Generally, we don't like to see a dividend that has been declining over time as this can degrade shareholders' returns and indicate that the company may be running into problems.

The Dividend Has Limited Growth Potential

Given that the dividend has been cut in the past, we need to check if earnings are growing and if that might lead to stronger dividends in the future. Earnings per share has been sinking by 12% over the last five years. Such rapid declines definitely have the potential to constrain dividend payments if the trend continues into the future. It's not all bad news though, as the earnings are predicted to rise over the next 12 months - we would just be a bit cautious until this becomes a long term trend.

In Summary

Overall, we always like to see the dividend being raised, but we don't think PZ Cussons will make a great income stock. 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. This company is not in the top tier of income providing stocks.

Companies possessing a stable dividend policy will likely enjoy greater investor interest than those suffering from a more inconsistent approach. Still, investors need to consider a host of other factors, apart from dividend payments, when analysing a company. Taking the debate a bit further, we've identified 1 warning sign for PZ Cussons that investors need to be conscious of moving forward. We have also put together a list of global stocks with a solid dividend.

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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