Hormel Foods (NYSE:HRL) Will Pay A Dividend Of $0.2825

Hormel Foods Corporation (NYSE:HRL) will pay a dividend of $0.2825 on the 15th of August. The dividend yield will be 3.7% based on this payment which is still above the industry average.

Check out our latest analysis for Hormel Foods

Hormel Foods' Dividend Is Well Covered By Earnings

While it is great to have a strong dividend yield, we should also consider whether the payment is sustainable. The last payment made up 80% of earnings, but cash flows were much higher. 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 44.6% over the next year. Under the assumption that the dividend will continue along recent trends, we think the payout ratio could be 61% which would be quite comfortable going to take the dividend forward.

historic-dividend

Hormel Foods Has A Solid Track Record

The company has an extended history of paying stable dividends. Since 2014, the dividend has gone from $0.34 total annually to $1.13. This implies that the company grew its distributions at a yearly rate of about 13% over that duration. Rapidly growing dividends for a long time is a very valuable feature for an income stock.

Dividend Growth May Be Hard To Come By

Investors could be attracted to the stock based on the quality of its payment history. However, things aren't all that rosy. Over the past five years, it looks as though Hormel Foods' EPS has declined at around 5.6% a year. If earnings continue declining, the company may have to make the difficult choice of reducing the dividend or even stopping it completely - the opposite of dividend growth. Earnings are predicted to grow over the next year, but we would remain cautious until a track record of earnings growth is established.

In Summary

In summary, while it's good to see that the dividend hasn't been cut, we are a bit cautious about Hormel Foods' payments, as there could be some issues with sustaining them into the future. The company is generating plenty of cash, but we still think the dividend is a bit high for comfort. We don't think Hormel Foods is a great stock to add to your portfolio if income is your focus.

Market movements attest to how highly valued a consistent dividend policy is compared to one which is more unpredictable. Meanwhile, despite the importance of dividend payments, they are not the only factors our readers should know when assessing a company. Given that earnings are not growing, the dividend does not look nearly so attractive. Businesses can change though, and we think it would make sense to see what analysts are forecasting for the company. If you are a dividend investor, you might also want to look at our curated list of high yield 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.

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