Yahoo Finance Valero Energy's (NYSE:VLO) Upcoming Dividend Will Be Larger Than Last Year's
Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO) has announced that it will be increasing its periodic dividend on the 16th of March to $1.02, which will be 4.1% higher than last year's comparable payment amount of $0.98. This takes the annual payment to 3.0% of the current stock price, which unfortunately is below what the industry is paying.
Check out our latest analysis for Valero Energy
Valero Energy's Dividend Is Well Covered By Earnings
The dividend yield is a little bit low, but sustainability of the payments is also an important part of evaluating an income stock. Before making this announcement, Valero Energy was easily earning enough to cover the dividend. As a result, a large proportion of what it earned was being reinvested back into the business.
Over the next year, EPS is forecast to fall by 68.4%. If the dividend continues along the path it has been on recently, we estimate the payout ratio could be 46%, which is comfortable for the company to continue in the future.
Valero Energy Has A Solid Track Record
The company has an extended history of paying stable dividends. Since 2013, the dividend has gone from $0.60 total annually to $3.92. This means that it has been growing its distributions at 21% per annum over that time. 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. We are encouraged to see that Valero Energy has grown earnings per share at 27% per year over the past five years. Earnings have been growing rapidly, and with a low payout ratio we think that the company could turn out to be a great dividend stock.
Valero Energy 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 earnings easily cover the company's distributions, and the company is generating plenty of cash. We should point out that the earnings are expected to fall over the next 12 months, which won't be a problem if this doesn't become a trend, but could cause some turbulence in the next year. 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. Meanwhile, despite the importance of dividend payments, they are not the only factors our readers should know when assessing a company. Taking the debate a bit further, we've identified 1 warning sign for Valero Energy that investors need to be conscious of moving forward. 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.
Join A Paid User Research Session
You’ll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here
