BAE Systems (LON:BA.) Has Announced That It Will Be Increasing Its Dividend To £0.104

BAE Systems plc's (LON:BA.) dividend will be increasing from last year's payment of the same period to £0.104 on 30th of November. The payment will take the dividend yield to 3.2%, which is in line with the average for the industry.

Check out our latest analysis for BAE Systems

BAE Systems' Dividend Is Well Covered By Earnings

Unless the payments are sustainable, the dividend yield doesn't mean too much. Based on the last payment, BAE Systems was quite comfortably earning enough to cover the dividend. This indicates that quite a large proportion of earnings is being invested back into the business.

Over the next year, EPS is forecast to expand by 54.0%. Assuming the dividend continues along recent trends, we think the payout ratio could be 39% by next year, which is in a pretty sustainable range.

BAE Systems Has A Solid Track Record

The company has a sustained record of paying dividends with very little fluctuation. Since 2012, the annual payment back then was £0.188, compared to the most recent full-year payment of £0.256. This means that it has been growing its distributions at 3.1% per annum over that time. Slow and steady dividend growth might not sound that exciting, but dividends have been stable for ten years, which we think makes this a fairly attractive offer.

The Dividend Has Growth Potential

Some investors will be chomping at the bit to buy some of the company's stock based on its dividend history. We are encouraged to see that BAE Systems has grown earnings per share at 5.5% per year over the past five years. Shareholders are getting plenty of the earnings returned to them, which combined with strong growth makes this quite appealing.

We Really Like BAE Systems' Dividend

Overall, a dividend increase is always good, and we think that BAE Systems is a strong income stock thanks to its track record and growing earnings. The company is easily earning enough to cover its dividend payments and it is great to see that these earnings are being translated into cash flow. All in all, this checks a lot of the boxes we look for when choosing an 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. Meanwhile, despite the importance of dividend payments, they are not the only factors our readers should know when assessing a company. Companies that are growing earnings tend to be the best dividend stocks over the long term. See what the 14 analysts we track are forecasting for BAE Systems for free with public analyst estimates for the company. 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.

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