Bank of Montreal's (TSE:BMO) Upcoming Dividend Will Be Larger Than Last Year's
Bank of Montreal's (TSE:BMO) dividend will be increasing to CA$1.39 on 26th of August. Based on the announced payment, the dividend yield for the company will be 3.9%, which is fairly typical for the industry.
View our latest analysis for Bank of Montreal
Bank of Montreal's Earnings Easily Cover the Distributions
Solid dividend yields are great, but they only really help us if the payment is sustainable. Bank of Montreal is quite easily earning enough to cover the dividend, however it is being let down by weak cash flows. With the company not bringing in any cash, paying out to shareholders is bound to become difficult at some point.
Over the next year, EPS is forecast to fall by 19.3%. Assuming the dividend continues along recent trends, we believe the payout ratio could be 38%, which we are pretty comfortable with and we think is feasible on an earnings basis.
Bank of Montreal 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 2012, the first annual payment was CA$2.80, compared to the most recent full-year payment of CA$5.56. This means that it has been growing its distributions at 7.1% 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 Dividend Looks Likely To Grow
Investors could be attracted to the stock based on the quality of its payment history. Bank of Montreal has seen EPS rising for the last five years, at 17% per annum. With a decent amount of growth and a low payout ratio, we think this bodes well for Bank of Montreal's prospects of growing its dividend payments in the future.
Our Thoughts On Bank of Montreal's Dividend
Overall, this is probably not a great income stock, even though the dividend is being raised at the moment. With cash flows lacking, it is difficult to see how the company can sustain a dividend payment. Overall, we don't think this company has the makings of a good income stock.
It's important to note that companies having a consistent dividend policy will generate greater investor confidence than those having an erratic one. At the same time, there are other factors our readers should be conscious of before pouring capital into a stock. Just as an example, we've come across 2 warning signs for Bank of Montreal you should be aware of, and 1 of them is significant. Is Bank of Montreal 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.
