ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) Is Paying Out A Larger Dividend Than Last Year

ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) will increase its dividend from last year's comparable payment on the 13th of January to $0.70. This makes the dividend yield about the same as the industry average at 4.0%.

View our latest analysis for ConocoPhillips

ConocoPhillips' Earnings Easily Cover The Distributions

Solid dividend yields are great, but they only really help us if the payment is sustainable. Before making this announcement, ConocoPhillips was easily earning enough to cover the dividend. As a result, a large proportion of what it earned was being reinvested back into the business.

Looking forward, earnings per share is forecast to fall by 34.5% over the next year. If the dividend continues along the path it has been on recently, we estimate the payout ratio could be 55%, which is comfortable for the company to continue in the future.

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. Since 2012, the annual payment back then was $2.64, compared to the most recent full-year payment of $4.99. This means that it has been growing its distributions at 6.6% per annum over that time. A reasonable rate of dividend growth is good to see, but we're wary that the dividend history is not as solid as we'd like, having been cut at least once.

The Dividend Looks Likely To Grow

With a relatively unstable dividend, it's even more important to see if earnings per share is growing. We are encouraged to see that ConocoPhillips has grown earnings per share at 30% per year over the past five years. A low payout ratio gives the company a lot of flexibility, and growing earnings also make it very easy for it to grow the dividend.

We Really Like ConocoPhillips' Dividend

Overall, we think this could be an attractive income stock, and it is only getting better by paying a higher dividend this year. The distributions are easily covered by earnings, and there is plenty of cash being generated as well. If earnings do fall over the next 12 months, the dividend could be buffeted a little bit, but we don't think it should cause too much of a problem in the long term. All of these factors considered, we think this has solid potential as a dividend stock.

Market movements attest to how highly valued a consistent dividend policy is compared to one which is more unpredictable. 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 3 warning signs for ConocoPhillips you should be aware of, and 1 of them is potentially serious. Is ConocoPhillips 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.

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