Yahoo Finance Service Corporation International (NYSE:SCI) Is Increasing Its Dividend To US$0.23
The board of Service Corporation International (NYSE:SCI) has announced that it will be increasing its dividend on the 31st of December to US$0.23. This makes the dividend yield about the same as the industry average at 1.3%.
Check out our latest analysis for Service Corporation International
Service Corporation International's Dividend Is Well Covered By Earnings
While it is always good to see a solid dividend yield, we should also consider whether the payment is feasible. However, Service Corporation International's earnings easily 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 32.0% over the next year. Assuming the dividend continues along recent trends, we believe the payout ratio could be 30%, which we are pretty comfortable with and we think is feasible on an earnings basis.
Service Corporation International Has A Solid Track Record
The company has a sustained record of paying dividends with very little fluctuation. Since 2011, the first annual payment was US$0.20, compared to the most recent full-year payment of US$0.92. This implies that the company grew its distributions at a yearly rate of about 16% over that duration. So, dividends have been growing pretty quickly, and even more impressively, they haven't experienced any notable falls during this period.
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. Service Corporation International has impressed us by growing EPS at 39% 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.
Service Corporation International Looks Like A Great Dividend Stock
Overall, we think this could be an attractive income stock, and it is only getting better by paying a higher dividend this year. The company is generating plenty of cash, and the earnings also quite easily cover the distributions. However, it is worth noting that the earnings are expected to fall over the next year, which may not change the long term outlook, but could affect the dividend payment in the next 12 months. All of these factors considered, we think this has solid potential as a dividend stock.
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 Service Corporation International you should be aware of, and 1 of them doesn't sit too well with us. We have also put together a list of global stocks with a solid dividend.
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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.
