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Bank of Montreal's (TSE:BMO) Shareholders Will Receive A Bigger Dividend Than Last Year

The board of Bank of Montreal (TSE:BMO) has announced that it will be increasing its dividend on the 26th of August to CA$1.39. This takes the annual payment to 3.7% of the current stock price, which is about average for the industry.

Check out our latest analysis for Bank of Montreal

Bank of Montreal's Earnings Easily Cover the Distributions

Unless the payments are sustainable, the dividend yield doesn't mean too much. Based on the last payment, Bank of Montreal was earning enough to cover the dividend, but free cash flows weren't positive. With the company not bringing in any cash, paying out to shareholders is bound to become difficult at some point.

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EPS is set to fall by 19.0% over the next 12 months. If the dividend continues along the path it has been on recently, we estimate the payout ratio could be 38%, which is comfortable for the company to continue in the future.

historic-dividend
historic-dividend

Bank of Montreal Has A Solid Track Record

Even over a long history of paying dividends, the company's distributions have been remarkably stable. Since 2012, the dividend has gone from CA$2.80 to CA$5.56. This means that it has been growing its distributions at 7.1% per annum over that time. Dividends have grown at a reasonable rate over this period, and without any major cuts in the payment over time, we think this is an attractive combination as it provides a nice boost to shareholder returns.

The Dividend Looks Likely To Grow

Investors who have held shares in the company for the past few years will be happy with the dividend income they have received. It's encouraging to see Bank of Montreal has been growing its earnings per share at 17% a year over the past five years. Growth in EPS bodes well for the dividend, as does the low payout ratio that the company is currently reporting.

In Summary

Overall, this is probably not a great income stock, even though the dividend is being raised at the moment. With cash flows lacking, it is difficult to see how the company can sustain a dividend payment. This company is not in the top tier of income providing stocks.

Companies possessing a stable dividend policy will likely enjoy greater investor interest than those suffering from a more inconsistent approach. However, there are other things to consider for investors when analysing stock performance. To that end, Bank of Montreal has 2 warning signs (and 1 which is a bit concerning) we think you should know about. Looking for more high-yielding dividend ideas? Try our collection of strong dividend payers.

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.