Imperial Brands (LON:IMB) Will Pay A Larger Dividend Than Last Year At UK£0.21

Imperial Brands PLC (LON:IMB) has announced that it will be increasing its dividend on the 30th of September to UK£0.21. This will take the dividend yield from 7.7% to 7.8%, providing a nice boost to shareholder returns.

Check out our latest analysis for Imperial Brands

Imperial Brands' Earnings Easily Cover the Distributions

If the payments aren't sustainable, a high yield for a few years won't matter that much. Based on the last payment, Imperial Brands was quite comfortably earning enough to cover the dividend. This means that a large portion of its earnings are being retained to grow the business.

Over the next year, EPS is forecast to expand by 7.5%. Assuming the dividend continues along recent trends, we think the payout ratio could be 60% by next year, which is in a pretty sustainable range.

Dividend Volatility

Although the company has a long dividend history, it has been cut at least once in the last 10 years. The first annual payment during the last 10 years was UK£0.95 in 2012, and the most recent fiscal year payment was UK£1.39. This means that it has been growing its distributions at 3.9% per annum over that time. Modest growth in the dividend is good to see, but we think this is offset by historical cuts to the payments. It is hard to live on a dividend income if the company's earnings are not consistent.

The Dividend Looks Likely To Grow

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. Imperial Brands has impressed us by growing EPS at 15% per year over the past five years. Since earnings per share is growing at an acceptable rate, and the payout policy is balanced, we think the company is positioning itself well to grow earnings and dividends in the future.

We Really Like Imperial Brands' Dividend

Overall, a dividend increase is always good, and we think that Imperial Brands is a strong income stock thanks to its track record and growing earnings. 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.

Companies possessing a stable dividend policy will likely enjoy greater investor interest than those suffering from a more inconsistent approach. Still, investors need to consider a host of other factors, apart from dividend payments, when analysing a company. Just as an example, we've come across 3 warning signs for Imperial Brands you should be aware of, and 1 of them is concerning. Is Imperial Brands not quite the opportunity you were looking for? Why not check out our selection of top dividend stocks.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.

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.