Yahoo Finance WPP's (LON:WPP) Upcoming Dividend Will Be Larger Than Last Year's
WPP plc (LON:WPP) will increase its dividend from last year's comparable payment on the 1st of November to £0.15. This will take the annual payment to 4.3% of the stock price, which is above what most companies in the industry pay.
See our latest analysis for WPP
WPP's 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, WPP's dividend was comfortably covered by both cash flow and earnings. This indicates that quite a large proportion of earnings is being invested back into the business.
Looking forward, earnings per share is forecast to rise by 96.7% over the next year. If the dividend continues on this path, the payout ratio could be 25% by next year, which we think can be pretty sustainable going forward.
Dividend Volatility
The company's dividend history has been marked by instability, with at least one cut in the last 10 years. Since 2012, the annual payment back then was £0.246, compared to the most recent full-year payment of £0.337. This works out to be a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 3.2% a year over that time. We're glad to see the dividend has risen, but with a limited rate of growth and fluctuations in the payments the total shareholder return may be limited.
The Dividend Has Limited Growth Potential
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. WPP's earnings per share has shrunk at 15% a year over the past five years. This steep decline can indicate that the business is going through a tough time, which could constrain its ability to pay a larger dividend each year in the future. Over the next year, however, earnings are actually predicted to rise, but we would still be cautious until a track record of earnings growth can be built.
Our Thoughts On WPP's Dividend
In summary, while it's always good to see the dividend being raised, we don't think WPP's payments are rock solid. The company is generating plenty of cash, which could maintain the dividend for a while, but the track record hasn't been great. 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. Case in point: We've spotted 2 warning signs for WPP (of which 1 is a bit unpleasant!) you should know about. Looking for more high-yielding dividend ideas? Try our collection of strong dividend payers.
Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.
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.
Join A Paid User Research Session
You’ll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here
