Yahoo Movies United Utilities Group (LON:UU.) Has Announced That It Will Be Increasing Its Dividend To UK£0.29
The board of United Utilities Group PLC (LON:UU.) has announced that it will be increasing its dividend on the 1st of August to UK£0.29. This will take the dividend yield from 4.2% to 4.2%, providing a nice boost to shareholder returns.
Check out our latest analysis for United Utilities Group
United Utilities Group's Distributions May Be Difficult To Sustain
We like to see robust dividend yields, but that doesn't matter if the payment isn't sustainable. The company is paying out a large amount of its cash flows, even though it isn't generating any profit. This makes us feel that the dividend will be hard to maintain.
Over the next year, EPS might fall by 27.5% based on recent performance. This means the company won't be turning a profit, which could place managers in the tough spot of having to choose between suspending the dividend or putting more pressure on the balance sheet.
United Utilities Group Has A Solid Track Record
The company has a sustained record of paying dividends with very little fluctuation. Since 2012, the dividend has gone from UK£0.30 to UK£0.43. This works out to be a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 3.8% a year over that time. Dividends have grown relatively slowly, which is not great, but some investors may value the relative consistency of the dividend.
The Dividend Has Limited Growth Potential
Some investors will be chomping at the bit to buy some of the company's stock based on its dividend history. Let's not jump to conclusions as things might not be as good as they appear on the surface. United Utilities Group's EPS has fallen by approximately 28% per year during the past five years. A sharp decline in earnings per share is not great from from a dividend perspective. Even conservative payout ratios can come under pressure if earnings fall far enough.
United Utilities Group's Dividend Doesn't Look Sustainable
Overall, we always like to see the dividend being raised, but we don't think United Utilities Group will make a great income stock. In the past the payments have been stable, but we think the company is paying out too much for this to continue for the long term. This company is not in the top tier of income providing stocks.
Investors generally tend to favour companies with a consistent, stable dividend policy as opposed to those operating an irregular one. At the same time, there are other factors our readers should be conscious of before pouring capital into a stock. For example, we've picked out 2 warning signs for United Utilities Group that investors should know about before committing capital to this stock. Is United Utilities Group 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.
