Unilever (LON:ULVR) Is Reducing Its Dividend To UK£0.37

Unilever PLC's (LON:ULVR) dividend is being reduced to UK£0.37 on the 8th of September. This means the annual payment is 3.6% of the current stock price, which is above the average for the industry.

Check out our latest analysis for Unilever

Unilever's Dividend Is Well Covered By Earnings

Impressive dividend yields are good, but this doesn't matter much if the payments can't be sustained. Prior to this announcement, Unilever's dividend made up quite a large proportion of earnings but only 58% of free cash flows. In general, cash flows are more important than earnings, so we are comfortable that the dividend will be sustainable going forward, especially with so much cash left over for reinvestment.

Looking forward, earnings per share is forecast to rise by 10.9% over the next year. Assuming the dividend continues along the course it has been charting recently, our estimates show the payout ratio being 69% which brings it into quite a comfortable range.

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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 first annual payment during the last 10 years was €0.83 in 2011, and the most recent fiscal year payment was €1.70. 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.

Unilever May Find It Hard To Grow The Dividend

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. However, Unilever has only grown its earnings per share at 3.6% per annum over the past five years. There are exceptions, but limited earnings growth and a high payout ratio can signal that a company has reached maturity. That's fine as far as it goes, but we're less enthusiastic as this often signals that the dividend is likely to grow slower in the future.

In Summary

In summary, dividends being cut isn't ideal, however it can bring the payment into a more sustainable range. 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 be a touch cautious of relying on this stock primarily for the dividend income.

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 2 warning signs for Unilever that investors need to be conscious of moving forward. 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. 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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