Edison International's (NYSE:EIX) dividend will be increasing from last year's payment of the same period to $0.8775 on 31st of January. This takes the dividend yield to 6.0%, which shareholders will be pleased with.
A big dividend yield for a few years doesn't mean much if it can't be sustained. Based on the last payment, Edison International's earnings were much higher than the dividend, but it wasn't converting those earnings into cash flow. Since a dividend means the company is paying out cash to investors, this could prove to be a problem in the future.
Over the next year, EPS is forecast to fall by 14.6%. If the dividend continues along the path it has been on recently, we estimate the payout ratio could be 54%, which is comfortable for the company to continue in the future.
Check out our latest analysis for Edison International
The company has an extended history of paying stable dividends. Since 2015, the dividend has gone from $1.67 total annually to $3.51. This means that it has been growing its distributions at 7.7% per annum over that time. The dividend has been growing very nicely for a number of years, and has given its shareholders some nice income in their portfolios.
The company's investors will be pleased to have been receiving dividend income for some time. Edison International has impressed us by growing EPS at 51% per year over the past five years. The company doesn't have any problems growing, despite returning a lot of capital to shareholders, which is a very nice combination for a dividend stock to have.
Overall, we always like to see the dividend being raised, but we don't think Edison International will make a great income stock. While the low payout ratio is a redeeming feature, this is offset by the minimal cash to cover the payments. This company is not in the top tier of income providing stocks.
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. For example, we've identified 4 warning signs for Edison International (2 shouldn't be ignored!) that you should be aware of before investing. Is Edison International not quite the opportunity you were looking for? Why not check out our selection of top 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.