Barclays (LON:BARC) Is Increasing Its Dividend To £0.053

Barclays PLC (LON:BARC) will increase its dividend on the 3rd of April to £0.053, which is 6.0% higher than last year’s payment from the same period of £0.05. Although the dividend is now higher, the yield is only 4.9%, which is below the industry average.

See our latest analysis for Barclays

Barclays’ Earnings Will Easily Cover The Distributions

The dividend yield is a little bit low, but sustainability of the payments is also an important part of evaluating an income stock.

Having distributed dividends for at least 10 years, Barclays has a long history of paying out a part of its earnings to shareholders. Past distributions do not necessarily guarantee future ones, but Barclays’ payout ratio of 29% is a good sign as this means that earnings decently cover dividends.

Over the next 3 years, EPS is forecast to expand by 47.1%. The future payout ratio could be 29% over that time period, according to analyst estimates, which is a good look for the future of the dividend.

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 £0.065 in 2014, and the most recent fiscal year payment was £0.08. This works out to be a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 2.1% a year over that time. The dividend has seen some fluctuations in the past, so even though the dividend was raised this year, we should remember that it has been cut in the past.

The Dividend Looks Likely To Grow

With a relatively unstable dividend, it’s even more important to see if earnings per share is growing. Barclays has impressed us by growing EPS at 25% per 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.

Barclays Looks Like A Great Dividend Stock

Overall, we think this could be an attractive income stock, and it is only getting better by paying a higher dividend this year. Earnings are easily covering distributions, and the company is generating plenty of cash. Taking this all into consideration, this looks like it could be a good dividend opportunity.

It’s important to note that companies having a consistent dividend policy will generate greater investor confidence than those having an erratic one. Meanwhile, despite the importance of dividend payments, they are not the only factors our readers should know when assessing a company. As an example, we’ve identified 1 warning sign for Barclays that you should be aware of before investing. 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.