Yahoo Finance Medtronic (NYSE:MDT) Is Increasing Its Dividend To $0.70
Medtronic plc (NYSE:MDT) has announced that it will be increasing its dividend from last year's comparable payment on the 12th of July to $0.70. This will take the annual payment to 3.5% of the stock price, which is above what most companies in the industry pay.
Check out our latest analysis for Medtronic
Medtronic'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. Prior to this announcement, the company was paying out 100% of what it was earning, however the dividend was quite comfortably covered by free cash flows at a cash payout ratio of only 71%. Healthy cash flows are always a positive sign, especially when they quite easily cover the dividend.
Over the next year, EPS is forecast to expand by 69.7%. Under the assumption that the dividend will continue along recent trends, we think the payout ratio could be 63% which would be quite comfortable going to take the dividend forward.
Medtronic Has A Solid Track Record
The company has been paying a dividend for a long time, and it has been quite stable which gives us confidence in the future dividend potential. Since 2014, the dividend has gone from $1.12 total annually to $2.80. This works out to be a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 9.6% a year over that time. The growth of the dividend has been pretty reliable, so we think this can offer investors some nice additional income in their portfolio.
Dividend Growth May Be Hard To Achieve
Investors could be attracted to the stock based on the quality of its payment history. However, initial appearances might be deceiving. In the last five years, Medtronic's earnings per share has shrunk at approximately 4.0% per annum. A modest decline in earnings isn't great, and it makes it quite unlikely that the dividend will grow in the future unless that trend can be reversed. Earnings are forecast to grow over the next 12 months and if that happens we could still be a little bit cautious until it becomes a pattern.
In Summary
In summary, while it's always good to see the dividend being raised, we don't think Medtronic's payments are rock solid. The company has been bring in plenty of cash to cover the dividend, but we don't necessarily think that makes it a great dividend stock. This company is not in the top tier of income providing stocks.
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. Taking the debate a bit further, we've identified 2 warning signs for Medtronic that investors need to be conscious of moving forward. 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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