Yahoo Finance WPP's (LON:WPP) Dividend Will Be Increased To £0.15
The board of WPP plc (LON:WPP) has announced that it will be paying its dividend of £0.15 on the 1st of November, an increased payment from last year's comparable dividend. This makes the dividend yield 4.5%, which is above the industry average.
View our latest analysis for WPP
WPP's Dividend Is Well Covered By Earnings
A big dividend yield for a few years doesn't mean much if it can't be sustained. The last dividend was quite easily covered by WPP's 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 97.2%. Assuming the dividend continues along recent trends, we think the payout ratio could be 26% by next year, which is in a pretty sustainable range.
Dividend Volatility
Although the company has a long dividend history, it has been cut at least once in the last 10 years. Since 2012, the dividend has gone from £0.246 total annually to £0.337. This means that it has been growing its distributions at 3.2% per annum over that time. It's encouraging to see some dividend growth, but the dividend has been cut at least once, and the size of the cut would eliminate most of the growth anyway, which makes this less attractive as an income investment.
The Dividend Has Limited Growth Potential
With a relatively unstable dividend, it's even more important to see if earnings per share is growing. WPP's earnings per share has shrunk at 16% a year over the past five years. Dividend payments are likely to come under some pressure unless EPS can pull out of the nosedive it is in. 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.
Our Thoughts On WPP's Dividend
Overall, we always like to see the dividend being raised, but we don't think WPP will make a great income stock. The payments haven't been particularly stable and we don't see huge growth potential, but with the dividend well covered by cash flows it could prove to be reliable over the short term. We don't think WPP is a great stock to add to your portfolio if income is your focus.
It's important to note that companies having a consistent dividend policy will generate greater investor confidence than those having an erratic one. Still, investors need to consider a host of other factors, apart from dividend payments, when analysing a company. To that end, WPP has 2 warning signs (and 1 which is significant) we think you should know about. Looking for more high-yielding dividend ideas? Try our collection of strong dividend payers.
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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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