Yahoo Finance Moody's (NYSE:MCO) Has Announced That It Will Be Increasing Its Dividend To $0.77
Moody's Corporation's (NYSE:MCO) dividend will be increasing from last year's payment of the same period to $0.77 on 9th of June. Despite this raise, the dividend yield of 1.0% is only a modest boost to shareholder returns.
Check out our latest analysis for Moody's
Moody's' Payment Has Solid Earnings Coverage
If it is predictable over a long period, even low dividend yields can be attractive. However, Moody's' earnings easily cover the dividend. This means that most of its earnings are being retained to grow the business.
The next year is set to see EPS grow by 71.6%. If the dividend continues along recent trends, we estimate the payout ratio will be 25%, which is in the range that makes us comfortable with the sustainability of the dividend.
Moody's Has A Solid Track Record
The company has an extended history of paying stable dividends. Since 2013, the dividend has gone from $0.64 total annually to $3.08. This works out to be a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 17% a year over that time. We can see that payments have shown some very nice upward momentum without faltering, which provides some reassurance that future payments will also be reliable.
Moody's Could Grow Its Dividend
Some investors will be chomping at the bit to buy some of the company's stock based on its dividend history. It's encouraging to see that Moody's has been growing its earnings per share at 6.9% a year over the past five years. A low payout ratio and decent growth suggests that the company is reinvesting well, and it also has plenty of room to increase the dividend over time.
We Really Like Moody's' Dividend
In summary, it is always positive to see the dividend being increased, and we are particularly pleased with its overall sustainability. Distributions are quite easily covered by earnings, which are also being converted to cash flows. All in all, this checks a lot of the boxes we look for when choosing an income stock.
Market movements attest to how highly valued a consistent dividend policy is compared to one which is more unpredictable. However, there are other things to consider for investors when analysing stock performance. For example, we've picked out 2 warning signs for Moody's that investors should know about before committing capital to this stock. Looking for more high-yielding dividend ideas? Try our collection of strong dividend payers.
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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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