Yahoo Finanza United Overseas Bank's (SGX:U11) Dividend Will Be SGD0.85
The board of United Overseas Bank Limited (SGX:U11) has announced that it will pay a dividend on the 9th of May, with investors receiving SGD0.85 per share. Based on this payment, the dividend yield for the company will be 5.6%, which is fairly typical for the industry.
View our latest analysis for United Overseas Bank
United Overseas Bank's Earnings Will Easily Cover The Distributions
Unless the payments are sustainable, the dividend yield doesn't mean too much.
Having distributed dividends for at least 10 years, United Overseas Bank has a long history of paying out a part of its earnings to shareholders. Taking data from its last earnings report, calculating for the company's payout ratio shows 51%, which means that United Overseas Bank would be able to pay its last dividend without pressure on the balance sheet.
Over the next 3 years, EPS is forecast to expand by 10.6%. Analysts forecast the future payout ratio could be 50% over the same time horizon, which is a number we think the company can maintain.
Dividend Volatility
The company has a long dividend track record, but it doesn't look great with cuts in the past. Since 2014, the annual payment back then was SGD0.60, compared to the most recent full-year payment of SGD1.70. This works out to be a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 11% a year over that time. It is great to see strong growth in the dividend payments, but cuts are concerning as it may indicate the payout policy is too ambitious.
United Overseas Bank Could Grow Its Dividend
With a relatively unstable dividend, it's even more important to evaluate if earnings per share is growing, which could point to a growing dividend in the future. United Overseas Bank has seen EPS rising for the last five years, at 7.8% per annum. Earnings are on the uptrend, and it is only paying a small portion of those earnings to shareholders.
Our Thoughts On United Overseas Bank's Dividend
In summary, it's great to see that the company can raise the dividend and keep it in a sustainable range. While the payout ratios are a good sign, we are less enthusiastic about the company's dividend record. Taking all of this into consideration, the dividend looks viable moving forward, but investors should be mindful that the company has pushed the boundaries of sustainability in the past and may do so again.
Market movements attest to how highly valued a consistent dividend policy is compared to one which is more unpredictable. Still, investors need to consider a host of other factors, apart from dividend payments, when analysing a company. Taking the debate a bit further, we've identified 1 warning sign for United Overseas Bank that investors need to be conscious of moving forward. If you are a dividend investor, you might also want to look at our curated list of high yield 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.
