Yahoo Finance Rheinmetall's (ETR:RHM) Shareholders Will Receive A Bigger Dividend Than Last Year
Rheinmetall AG (ETR:RHM) has announced that it will be increasing its dividend from last year's comparable payment on the 17th of May to €5.70. This takes the annual payment to 1.1% of the current stock price, which is about average for the industry.
While the dividend yield is important for income investors, it is also important to consider any large share price moves, as this will generally outweigh any gains from distributions. Investors will be pleased to see that Rheinmetall's stock price has increased by 55% in the last 3 months, which is good for shareholders and can also explain a decrease in the dividend yield.
View our latest analysis for Rheinmetall
Rheinmetall's Payment Has Solid Earnings Coverage
Solid dividend yields are great, but they only really help us if the payment is sustainable. Prior to this announcement, Rheinmetall's dividend was comfortably covered by both cash flow and earnings. This means that a large portion of its earnings are being retained to grow the business.
The next year is set to see EPS grow by 182.9%. If the dividend continues on this path, the payout ratio could be 18% by next year, which we think can be pretty sustainable going forward.
Dividend Volatility
Although the company has a long dividend history, it has been cut at least once in the last 10 years. The annual payment during the last 10 years was €0.40 in 2014, and the most recent fiscal year payment was €5.70. This implies that the company grew its distributions at a yearly rate of about 30% over that duration. It is great to see strong growth in the dividend payments, but cuts are concerning as it may indicate the payout policy is too ambitious.
The Dividend Looks Likely To Grow
With a relatively unstable dividend, it's even more important to evaluate if earnings per share is growing, which could point to a growing dividend in the future. Rheinmetall has impressed us by growing EPS at 13% per year over the past five years. The company is paying a reasonable amount of earnings to shareholders, and is growing earnings at a decent rate so we think it could be a decent dividend stock.
Rheinmetall Looks Like A Great Dividend Stock
Overall, we think this could be an attractive income stock, and it is only getting better by paying a higher dividend this year. Earnings are easily covering distributions, and the company is generating plenty of cash. Taking this all into consideration, this looks like it could be a good dividend opportunity.
It's important to note that companies having a consistent dividend policy will generate greater investor confidence than those having an erratic one. At the same time, there are other factors our readers should be conscious of before pouring capital into a stock. Companies that are growing earnings tend to be the best dividend stocks over the long term. See what the 12 analysts we track are forecasting for Rheinmetall for free with public analyst estimates for the company. Is Rheinmetall not quite the opportunity you were looking for? Why not check out our selection of top 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.
