Goldman Sachs Group (NYSE:GS) Is Increasing Its Dividend To US$2.00
The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.'s (NYSE:GS) dividend will be increasing to US$2.00 on 30th of December. This takes the annual payment to 1.6% of the current stock price, which is about average for the industry.
See our latest analysis for Goldman Sachs Group
Goldman Sachs Group's Payment Has Solid Earnings Coverage
We like to see a healthy dividend yield, but that is only helpful to us if the payment can continue. Goldman Sachs Group 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.
EPS is set to fall by 27.5% over the next 12 months. If the dividend continues along the path it has been on recently, we estimate the payout ratio could be 16%, which is comfortable for the company to continue in the future.
Goldman Sachs Group Has A Solid Track Record
The company has a sustained record of paying dividends with very little fluctuation. The first annual payment during the last 10 years was US$1.40 in 2011, and the most recent fiscal year payment was US$8.00. This works out to be a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 19% a year over that time. We can see that payments have shown some very nice upward momentum without faltering, which provides some reassurance that future payments will also be reliable.
The Dividend Looks Likely To Grow
Investors could be attracted to the stock based on the quality of its payment history. It's encouraging to see Goldman Sachs Group has been growing its earnings per share at 39% a year over the past five years. Earnings have been growing rapidly, and with a low payout ratio we think that the company could turn out to be a great dividend stock.
In Summary
Overall, this is probably not a great income stock, even though the dividend is being raised at the moment. While the low payout ratio is 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.
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. Just as an example, we've come across 2 warning signs for Goldman Sachs Group you should be aware of, and 1 of them is significant. If you are a dividend investor, you might also want to look at our curated list of high performing dividend stock.
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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