Barratt Developments (LON:BDEV) Is Reducing Its Dividend To £0.044
Barratt Developments plc's (LON:BDEV) dividend is being reduced from last year's payment covering the same period to £0.044 on the 17th of May. The yield is still above the industry average at 6.0%.
Check out our latest analysis for Barratt Developments
Barratt Developments' Earnings Easily Cover The Distributions
We like to see robust dividend yields, but that doesn't matter if the payment isn't sustainable. Before making this announcement, the company's dividend was much higher than its earnings. It will be difficult to sustain this level of payout so we wouldn't be confident about this continuing.
Over the next year, EPS is forecast to expand by 100.2%. Assuming the dividend continues along the course it has been charting recently, our estimates show the payout ratio being 69% which brings it into quite a comfortable range.
Dividend Volatility
While the company has been paying a dividend for a long time, it has cut the dividend at least once in the last 10 years. The annual payment during the last 10 years was £0.025 in 2014, and the most recent fiscal year payment was £0.279. This works out to be a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 27% a year over that time. Despite the rapid growth in the dividend over the past number of years, we have seen the payments go down the past as well, so that makes us cautious.
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. Barratt Developments' EPS has fallen by approximately 21% per year during the past five years. Such rapid declines definitely have the potential to constrain dividend payments if the trend continues into the future. On the bright side, earnings are predicted to gain some ground over the next year, but until this turns into a pattern we wouldn't be feeling too comfortable.
We're Not Big Fans Of Barratt Developments' Dividend
In summary, it's not great to see that the dividend is being cut, but it is probably understandable given that the current payment level was quite high. The company seems to be stretching itself a bit to make such big payments, but it doesn't appear they can be consistent over time. Overall, the dividend is not reliable enough to make this 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. However, there are other things to consider for investors when analysing stock performance. Case in point: We've spotted 3 warning signs for Barratt Developments (of which 1 doesn't sit too well with us!) you should know about. 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.
